Return
by Fading into the background
Summary: Nanao transferred out of the 8th a year after Yadomaru's disappearance. Forty years later she returned as the 8th's Fukutaicho. This is the story of how the 8th, and its Taicho and Fukutaicho, came to be who and what they are today.
1. Forty-One Years Later

A/N: So I've been working on this one for a while and decided to post only when I was close to finishing so I didn't pull another disappearing act. Meanwhile it seems like there haven't been any Nanao/Shunsui fanfictions recently and this makes me sad. Hopefully everyone hasn't gotten bored and jumped ship. Mainly because I will go down with it, and would like some company. Anyway enjoy and let me know what you think!

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><p>It was strange being back in the 8th Division. Nanao paused in the hallway and took in the scent of alcohol and what she assumed was old food. The hallway walls were dinged up and obviously in need of some repair, and she had to step over bottles and debris as she made her way back to the Taicho's office. She still remembered the way like she'd been there only yesterday, but the division had never been allowed to fall into this sort of disarray when she was a child. It'd been forty years since she'd been down these hallways. Forty years, and for some reason she still expected to run into Yadomaru Fukutaicho around every corner.<p>

It'd been the same for her all those years ago when she had initially transferred. She'd simply been unable to bear the thought of being in the 8th without Yadomaru-san. It also hadn't helped that in the year she'd remained after Yadomaru's disappearance there had been no less than three replacement Fukutaichos. All of them had been driven away shortly by the 8th's grief stricken and lazy Taicho. He'd been there for the division members emotionally and never shirked active duty, but he'd retreated even further away from mundane office work, if it was at all possible, and had no interest in training a second in command. Nanao wondered if she'd even find him in the office. The last she remembered of the 8th's Taicho he avoided the place like the plague. She assumed it reminded him too much of what he'd lost to stand it.

The sound of someone retching in a room off to her right had her shaking her head and wondering if she was crazy to return. She'd spent the last forty years working her way up through the ranks in the 5th division. She'd been their 3rd seat for the last five years and had been fairly content. She'd never really contemplated leaving until Aizen Taicho had taken her aside and asked whether or not she'd be interested in a Fukutaicho position. Ichimaru Gin was still firmly in place as the Fukutaicho of the 5th, and while it seemed he'd be up for his own Taicho position soon, there was no guarantee of when that would happen. Apparently Aizen had put her name in for consideration when the 8th position came open again due not only to her kido skills, but also her mastery of paperwork. Everyone was well aware the 8th was an administrative nightmare. As she'd never been one to turn away from a challenge or an opportunity she'd eventually agreed. It didn't hurt that the Soutaicho had given her a personal letter urging her to consider the position. He'd been desperate to find anyone that could stand up against the tidal wave of paperwork the post entailed. Nanao also had to admit that some remaining loyalty to her original division prompted her to accept the job, even though she was well aware Kyouraku Taicho went through Fukutaichos almost as quickly as his sake bottles and women.

Nanao made it to the office door and knocked politely. Receiving no response she went to slide the door open and found it moved jerkily to the side, clearly needing to be reset on its track. The sight that greeted her was stacks of papers, empty sake bottles, and a snoring lump passed out on the ratty couch in the room. Carefully making her way through the mess, and trying to hide the look of distaste from her face, she arrived at the lump's side and shook what she hoped was a shoulder.

"Just throw them in a stack," the lump muttered.

"Kyouraku Taicho," she started formally. "I've been assigned as your new Fukutaicho."

"Great," he said nestling down further into the couch. "Start wherever you like." He waved an absent hand at the papers around him, and Nanao wondered again if she'd made the right decision.

"Sir, the Soutaicho wanted me to start with the 8th division's budget. Where should I look for this information?"

"Beats me."

"Then, as I am unfamiliar with these offices, you are going to have to help me look," Nanao said coolly. Really the few times she'd seen Yadomaru chastise him when she was a child she'd thought perhaps her mentor was being too hard on him, but now she could see why.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Kyouraku said pulling a scruffy pillow down over his head. "Good luck."

Nanao sighed. "Sir, I'm not going anywhere until you at least have the decency to acknowledge me and attempt to help. You may stay as you are if you like, but you won't be getting any rest until I'm satisfied."

Kyouraku chuckled low. "And what exactly does it take to satisfy you, my dear?" he asked lewdly as he finally sat up and looked her over. He gave a short whistle and added, "Yama-jii should know better by now."

"Excuse me?" Nanao asked, trying to ignore the blush from his earlier comment. His stare hadn't helped either. Men did not often look hard at her.

"Yama-jii should know better than to send me a woman as a second," he clarified cracking his neck.

"You have something against women, sir?"

"No, I love women," he said grinning slowly at her. "It's just they always end up one of two ways, filing sexual harassment suits or in my bed. I do hope you're one of the latter type."

"Sir, I have no intention of winding up in your bed," she said sharply.

"Ah, then you'll be gone in a month," he said with a shrug. "My advice? Enjoy the month and relax while you try to choose your next division."

"I'm not going anywhere, sir. I was sent here to help the 8th and I'm going to do just that."

"What do you care about it?" he asked standing up and towering over her. She would have thought that would have changed from when she was a child, and that her memory would be larger than the man himself. He still swamped her petite form though. Whereas she'd found it a comforting presence the few times she'd interacted with him as a child, he now used it to intimidate. Luckily she didn't take to bullying very well.

"The 8th was good to me. I loved this division," she said defensively. Ise Nanao was not a woman who accepted that she couldn't do something. Everything was achievable if you just put enough hard work and dedication into it.

"Sweetheart, I'd have remembered a pretty little thing like you running around." He took a moment to give her another once over and smile. "As I don't, I don't see how you could have ever been a part of this division. What's your name?"

"Ise Nanao," she said. "I was in this division when I was a child. I transferred to the 5th about forty years back."

He eyed her critically and then stiffened minutely. "You used to come and read with Lisa-chan," he said quietly.

"Yes," Nanao said. "Yadomaru-fukutaicho was always particularly kind to me, as being so young I was often the odd man out."

Kyouraku gave her a tight-lipped smile. "And you'll even dare to talk about her in front of me. Most people go out of their way to avoid saying her name."

"Regardless of what actually happened that night," Nanao said curtly. "I just don't believe she was a traitor. I'm not going to tiptoe around the subject because it makes the masses uncomfortable. I respected and trusted her. She was a friend to me when I had none. That's all there is to it."

"At least you aren't an idiot like the last one they sent me," he said neutrally. He did however take a step back and slouch into a more casual stance. "I honestly have no idea where the budget is."

"Do you at least know which pile is the most recent?"

Kyouraku made a low humming sound and scratched the back of his neck as he looked around the office. "Probably the stuff closest to the door? Delivery people don't go much beyond it now."

Nanao sighed. This was going to take a while. "And where is the rest of the squad? I didn't see anyone when I came in."

"Probably sleeping off hangovers." Kyouraku shrugged and yawned. "Exactly what I should be doing."

"The morning training hasn't begun?" Nanao asked with a frown.

Kyouraku shrugged again. "I let them manage their own training for the most part. 8th division doesn't often get started before the late afternoon."

Nanao sighed. "And your third seat?"  
>"What about him?"<br>"Where would I find him?"

"Again, I would assume bed," Kyouraku said with a chuckle. "You don't catch on that quickly, do you?"

Nanao shot the man a glare and started sifting through the pile closest to her. "Anything older than two years I'm going to dump," she said almost to herself. "There's no point in trying to get through the entire backlog. It'd be impossible. We'll just have to do the best we can and then keep up-to-date moving forward. When the 3rd seat arrives, will he report in here?"

"I don't know," Kyouraku said settling back down on the couch and watching her move around the room. "I'm rarely in the office. I was only still here because I passed out on the couch last night."

"Right," Nanao said with a sigh. This was worse than she'd imagined it would be. How could he have allowed it to get to this state, and more so how could the Soutaicho have allowed it? She knew Kyouraku was a favorite of the old man, but she never imagined his favoritism would extend to this kind of lenience.

"They force you into this job?"

"Of course not," Nanao said sharply. "I was a 3rd seat in the 5th and the Fukutaicho position wasn't likely to come open anytime soon so Aizen Taicho thought it'd be best if I transferred."

"And he transferred you here?" Kyouraku asked. "You must have pissed him off."

"He was confident I could handle it," Nanao said scrunching up her face in disgust as she picked up a form covered in something unidentifiable.

"Nobody seems to be able to handle it," he said in a challenging tone.

"You mean nobody seems to be able to handle you," she corrected dryly. A pink paper caught her eye and she discovered a pile of overdue bills. It was at least a place to start with the budget.

"Lots of women handle me just fine, sweetheart," he said with a warm laugh.

"You're crudeness will not frighten me off, sir," she said severely as she shot him a glare over her glasses. "I grew up in the barracks. I've heard it all before. Beyond that I'm well aware of your reputation, and I am not concerned."

"No?" he asked shooting her a lopsided grin.

"No."

"And why not?"

"I am immune to fluttery words and hollow promises, sir."

"No woman is immune to fluttery words," he argued.

"Not the type of women you chase after, I would imagine" she said with a snort. Nanao continued to navigate the paperwork. She began to make piles of work to dump and work to review.

"Lovely, lovely, Nanao-chan," he said getting to his feet and moving towards her. One hand dropped to her waist turning her from the paperwork to face him and the other moved to her chin lifting her head to meet his eyes. "I have never met a woman with that particular immunity," he said with a warm tone. "Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are absolutely stunning?"

Nanao was frozen for a moment at the shock of the physical contact. Growing up in a military environment, she was not used to excessive contact. She'd read sitting in Yadomaru's lap, but after she'd left the 8th she didn't think she'd had much contact beyond the brush of a hand when passing paperwork or the hit of a body during a fight. She'd had sex a few times over the years, but it had always been a need-based thing – quick and efficient. She was pretty sure she didn't like this sort of touch at all. Her body seemed to agree as she quickly found her new Taicho yelping and backing off as she bent his fingers backwards on the hand that had found it's way to her waist.

"Sorry, sir," she squeaked releasing him as quickly as she'd twisted the fingers back. It'd been a reflex or she never would have physically abused a superior. Given no superior should be taking those kinds of liberties. "But I must insist you refrain from that sort of physical contact in the future. It is unwanted."

"Nanao-chan has a temper," he said shaking the damaged hand as if it would rid him of the pain.

"Again my apologies," she said sincerely. "I should have given you warning, but I simply reacted."

"Your boyfriends must love that," he said sarcastically.

Nanao blushed and turned away from him again. She certainly wasn't about to discuss her lack of a love life with this man. The men she had slept with had always been more of work acquaintances than actual boyfriends. She worked long hours and rarely had any interest in investing the time and effort it took to maintain a steady relationship. "You, sir, are not my boyfriend and as such should keep touching to the professional limit."

"Right," he said dryly pulling his hat down over his eyes. "This is going to be a super fun month."

"I will be here for longer than a month so I would begin getting used to it," Nanao snapped back. The man really was infuriating and she'd only had to deal with him for ten minutes. How had Yadomaru-san put up with him? She knew he was powerful, but all the power in the world wasn't going to help if he couldn't be bothered to get up from a nap.

"Well then, looks like you've got everything under control. I'll leave you to it."

"Taicho," she started in exasperation.

The man crossed the room, picked up a bottle of sake from a corner, and shunpoed out the window without another word. She wouldn't see him again for two weeks, and when she did it would be because he'd passed out on the couch again after a drinking bender.


	2. Six Months Later

It'd been six months since Nanao had begun at the 8th. She finally had the backlog of paperwork as cleared up as it was ever going to be and had gotten the squad into some sort of working order. She had the lower seats jumping to take commands and timetables that she saw were strictly adhered to. She'd tried to be civil at first and had simply asked the recruits to follow the new schedules. Once she'd seen that that wasn't going to work, she'd taken to personally strolling through the barracks every morning at five and casually setting kido flames to the blankets of anyone still in bed. She didn't care if they were hung over as long as they were at their posts and in their training classes.

She'd also made sure that the most physically intensive classes of the day were first thing in the morning to make sure anyone with a hangover suffered appropriately. At first this had seemed to backfire as then they just fell asleep over their paperwork and more menial tasks in the afternoon, but she'd quickly learned to adjust the schedule into a reward system. Those with the best division track records, paperwork in on time, training up to par, and prompt attendance, received the best patrols and training hours. Not only did it curb the debauchery of the division a bit, it also fostered good healthy competition between comrades.

Overall the division was functioning better than it had in years, and Nanao didn't think it was too prideful to admit it. Most of the division had been helpful after they'd figured out she was willing to be fair with them, and the entire division had been thrilled to discover that paychecks actually came biweekly when there was someone consistently filling out the proper paperwork.

There were still small kinks to work out, but as a whole things were moving along smoothly. The biggest problem she still had was the division's Taicho. He showed up haphazardly to the office, and she'd had to search the Seireitei more than once to get his signature. There was also no telling what state he would be in when she finally did track him down. She'd started to get down some of his usual haunts, but there was never any guarantee that he wasn't passed out somewhere random. Ukitake Taicho had actually been incredibly helpful finding him a few times, but she felt bad bothering the poor man constantly. Besides it made it look like she couldn't do her own job. She'd finally taken to placing small kido tracking spells on Kyouraku whenever she got the chance. She was pretty sure he'd discovered them and wiped them out a few times though.

Today she could find no trace of the last kido tracker she'd been able to get on him a week ago though, and he had a Taicho meeting this afternoon. Nanao sighed and put down the paperwork she'd just finished. It was a few hours before the meeting, but she wasn't sure how long this search was going to take. She stretched and called for the third seat. He answered promptly and she grinned internally.

"I'm going out to look for the Taicho," she said simply. "Please maintain the schedule and send a hell butterfly if you need me. I'll be returning this afternoon after delivering him to the meeting at the 1st."

The 3rd seat nodded his understanding and scurried out of the room. No one wanted to be in the way when she was going on the hunt for the Taicho. More often then not she came back miserable and pissed off. She'd truly never met a more aggravating man. Just getting a signature took sitting though an hour of compliments and innuendos and then an hour of whining and refusals. It was like dealing with a two year old. An often drunk two year old.

She spent two hours futilely searching the man's favorite bars, nap spots, and restaurants. She'd even finally swung by the 13th, but Ukitake hadn't seen him all day. There was no way she was going to not get him to a Taicho meeting. It was getting down to the wire though. She finally decided to backtrack and try one of his napping spots again. Nanao caught a hint of his reiatsu as she neared a park in the 1st district of the Rukongai that'd she'd checked nearly an hour and a half ago.

The man was a shocking lump of pink as she came out of her shunpo at his side. He made no movement, and while she was sure he was aware she was there, he didn't acknowledge her. Nanao had learned quickly that he was more alert that he appeared. The first time she'd found him napping she'd reached for his shoulder only to have a year frightened off her life when he'd snatched her wrist out of the air and had pinned her to the ground before she could fully register what had happened. That had been one of the rare times he'd been fully asleep and she'd startled him. She'd been positive for a fleeting second that he was going to kill her before he registered who she was. The moment he'd put the situation together though, and found her effectively trapped underneath him, his posture had softened and there had been a ten minute long struggle as he tried to suggest dirty activities, and she'd tried her best to glare and shoot him down.

"Sir," she said sharply.

"Go away, Nanao," he grumbled rolling onto his side and pulling his hat down further. She knew she should be offended by the rude informal address, but frankly she liked it better than his cooed Nanao-chan's. She'd requested several times that he address her properly, and it seemed like a loosing battle. He was still convinced she was liable to quit any day if he simply harassed her enough.

"You have a Taicho meeting in a half hour, sir," she said coolly.

"I'm not attending."

"Unfortunately, it's mandatory."

"Yama-jii will get over it," Kyouraku stated.

"I was sent an official request from the 1st stating that your presence was required earlier today."

"Well I'm hung over, and more so I simply don't care."

"Sir," she returned tightly. "I am not going to disobey a direct order just because you drank too much like every day of the week. Now get up."

"Get lost," he said firmly.

Nanao sighed. No matter what she did, she didn't seem to be able to win with him. "Sir, I'm going to have to insist."

"And you're the Fukutaicho, not the Taicho, so I'm going to have to go ahead and ignore that insistence."

"The Soutaicho outranks you and it is his order I'm following," Nanao said adding as much steel to her tone as she could muster.

"You wanna follow his orders, then transfer to the 1st," Kyouraku answered flippantly.

Nanao reached down and snatched the hat from his head. "Sir, I am not going anywhere anytime soon, and this would be a lot more pleasant if you would just get used to it."

The man lumbered to his feet and towered over her. "Return it," he ordered.

She handed him the hat and waited patiently while he adjusted it back on his head. "Ready to go?"

"I told you that I'm not going." He crossed his arms and planted his feet in a defensive stance.

"Sir," she said trying her hardest not to whine. "It's been a long day. Do we really have to do this?"

"Nanao-chan, do whatever you want with the troops, but you don't have any sway over me."

She sighed again. "Sir, I'm going to have to insist."

"Or you'll do what?" He threw her a smirk that said he'd already won, and it pissed her off more than anything else he had done yet in the conversation.

"Then I'll force you to go," she said simply. Kido burst into life around her clenched right fist, and she had the stray thought that she'd finally cracked. There was no chance of her winning in an actual fight against him, but she was hoping his overriding laziness would win out and he'd simply decide going to the meeting was an easier option. Beyond that she didn't truly think he'd hurt her. He was moody and belligerent about work, but she'd never seen him physically harm another person even at his most intoxicated.

"Nanao-chan wants to play?" he asked, still grinning. "I have better ideas on how to work off that energy."

She threw the kido fire at him and he barely shunpoed out of the way in time. It made her more than a little bit happy to see the shocked look on his face.

"You were actually trying to hit me," he said watching her more intently now.

"As I said if you won't go willingly then I will force you to go."

"This isn't a game you want to start."

"You've left me no other options," she stated calmly and threw another kido at him. He dodged and she continued with her assault. Kyouraku brought up one of his hands to quash an oncoming fireball and yelped when it had more power behind it then he'd obviously expected it to.

"Nanao-chan is more than paperwork then?" he commented quietly shaking his hand. The fireball hadn't left a physical mark, but it'd at least made an impression.

"Did you think they would assign you a Fukutaicho without even this level of skill?" She fumed internally and tried to keep her face neutral. People had always had the tendency to underestimate her, and she'd thought that at least he might have a different opinion since he knew for a fact how young she'd been when she'd originally been accepted into the 8th.

"I think they would send anyone they thought could make it through that mountain of paperwork," he said with a shrug. "You could have been reiatsuless for all they cared. It's the only reason I could think that Aizen Taicho would want to be rid of you."

The barb stung and Nanao struggled to maintain her neutral expression. She'd wondered herself why Aizen had been so willing to let her go. She'd assumed he was just looking out for her, but at the same time in her last few months within the 5th she'd noticed that the Taicho and Fukutaicho of the division didn't seem to fully trust her. Given she didn't think Ichimaru trusted anyone besides Aizen and Matsumoto. She brushed the thoughts aside. Kyouraku had been testing her since the moment she'd walked in the door and she didn't intend to lose now. He was incredibly good at reading people and being able to pick up on their soft points. She'd seen him use it to comfort division members she hadn't even been aware there was a problem with, but when he turned it the opposite way he had a great capacity to be hurtful if he wanted to. It's why none of the previous Fukutaicho had lasted. If sexual harassment and laziness didn't work he'd go deeper.

"I'm pretty sure they sent me because the Taicho of the 8th had fallen from being a great Taicho to being a pathetic old man mooning over a lost love." She could be hurtful too.

His eyes narrowed as he dodged another kido blast. "Is that what you think?"

"It's what everyone thinks," she yelled losing her cool completely. "I respected and cared for Yadomaru-san too, but at least I didn't allow a once great division to become known as a group of ill prepared drunks."

"And you'll change all that, Nanao?" he asked coldly, not bothering to dodge her latest kido blast. He simply held up his hand, caught it, and crushed the flame. "Will you train them up to be fierce warriors?"

"Better than you have," she seethed.

"And then what?" he demanded.

"What do you mean, and then what?"

"Child," Kyouraku sighed and shook his head in disappointment.

The word cracked Nanao's last nerve. She let out a frustrated noise and threw every kido she could think of as rapidly as she could at him. At this point she didn't care if she hurt him or if she got in trouble. She'd had just about enough of his attitude, and she despised being treated like a child. Smoke blocked her vision for a moment as one hard blast hit the dirt near her Taicho's left foot.

A moment later a blade was at her throat and Kyouraku was at her back. "And then what, child?" he drawled low by her ear.

Nanao struggled to get loose of his hold and the blade tightened at her neck. She felt the metal nip her skin and send a drop of blood rolling down her throat. It brought her back enough to still her movements. Kyouraku didn't loosen his hold. "And when they are properly trained, Nanao? When they're fierce warriors? What then? They'll do you proud and march out on the battlefield to die?" he demanded.

"They're soldiers," she defended.

"Soldiers who are protected by their lack of training and their inept Taicho," he said softly.

"How does that protect them?" Nanao growled.

"Which is the last division sent on difficult mission? Which is the last division sent into battles?"

"And when they are finally sent?" Nanao asked. "What then? They'll be slaughtered. You'll have taken away their only chance to do something about their fate."

"It won't come to that. I'll protect them," he said fiercely.

"You're powerful," Nanao conceded. "But you aren't that powerful."

"Didn't take much effort to make you a non-threat," he said and she heard the chuckle in his tone. Nanao felt her temper rise again and the kido answered. "What are you going to do with that, sweetheart? Hit me at this close of a range and you'll set yourself alight too."

"Like I said," she said coldly. "You aren't powerful enough to stop everything. Some people will burn it all down regardless of the consequences, and what defense will you have for that? What defense will they have?" Nanao let the kido rage. She felt her own uniform light with his and twisted as his blade loosened from its spot at her throat. Pain ripped through her as the flame danced up her uniform, but she still took pride in the sight of his surprise as the fire burned between them.

He cursed and threw himself at her. She took a defensive stance thinking he was attacking and instead found herself wrapped in his arms as he used his forward motion to throw them both into the nearby stream. Nanao choked as they hit the water. Steam rolled around them as the water silenced the flames. Nanao surfaced spitting up water. Kyouraku didn't look like he'd faired much better. The man's crisped hat was floating away on the current and his hair tie and pins barley clung on to his hair, some of it having freed itself in the struggle. One side of his uniform and pink haori had completely burned away. She glanced down at herself and realized her own uniform was equally tattered. The whole right side of her uniform from the hip down was gone and the skin below red and starting to blister from it's brief encounter with the heat. She'd have been embarrassed any other time, but right now her adrenaline was still high enough that she was just angry.

"You'll get them killed," she said. "You aren't protecting them and this isn't what Yadomaru-san would have wanted."

"I'm tired of watching my people die," he said softly.

"Do you really think this will save them? Keeping them stupid and soft so the Gotei doesn't utilize them? Is that why you drive any Fukutaicho who might bring some semblance of order away?"

"Tried the training them for a few hundred years," he said with a shrug. "Thought I'd give something new a whirl." Kyouraku sighed. "It was nice while it lasted."

"It's done now?" Nanao asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you don't seem to be going anywhere," he said dryly, standing up in the stream and shaking like a big dog. Nanao held up an arm to shield herself from the spray, but it was a futile gesture since she was already soaked. He reached a hand down to her and she eyed it critically. "I'm not going to bite, sweetheart,"

Nanao rolled her eyes, but accepted his hand letting him pull her to her feet. "This seems too easy," Nanao said slowly.

"Nothing about me is easy, Nanao-chan," he said with a grin. "Nice leg."

Nanao blushed and turned so he couldn't see the bared leg so easily. "You're going to bring the division up to standard?"

"I'm going to let you stay Nanao-chan," he said simply. "How that turns out is up to you."

"Like it was your choice whether I stayed or not," Nanao said with a snort. "I wasn't going anywhere with or without your approval."

"It's cute when you think you know best," he said with a grin. Then he reached for her and pulled her into a tight hug by the waist.

"What are you doing, sir?" she screeched.

"I thought we had a Taicho meeting to get to," he said, calmly ignoring her struggles to get free.

"You have a Taicho meeting," she corrected. "Not me."

"Best make sure I don't get distracted on the way," he said with a smirk and stepped into shunpo.

Before she knew it they were in the first division. The other Taichos were already assembled as Kyouraku was late, and Nanao was horrified to appear before them wrapped up in her Taicho's arms with one entire pant leg gone. Both of them were burnt and dripping water on the first division floor and Nanao couldn't fight the blush that overtook her cheeks as all heads turned to look at the interruption.

"Sorry I'm late Yama-jii," Shunsui said with a quick grin and a short bow. He finally released Nanao completely and she quickly sidestepped and gave a more respectful bow. "Nanao-chan tried to get me here on time, but we got distracted."

"I can see that," the Soutaicho said calmly. "If you wouldn't mind, Ise Fukutaicho?"

"Of course not," she sputtered as she turned to head for the door. She had to stop herself from turning around and beating her Taicho senseless when she heard a wolf whistle and her Taicho say, "What? You're just jealous your Fukutaicho doesn't have legs like that, Ukitake."

Instead of beating him she just shook her head and kept walking. The man really was impossible.

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><p>AN: A big shout out to Sam for the review on the first chapter. Glad there is still a fellow ShunsuixNanao shipper out there and you're liking the slightly different take on their history together! Let me know if you guys are liking it so far.


	3. Five Years Later

"Taicho level, you say?" Nanao asked distractedly. She couldn't figure out what had happened in last month's budget and was barely listening to the messenger.

"Yes," the messenger responded. "The 1st requests that Kyouraku Taicho goes out and investigates the site of the deaths. Three patrols have been killed so far, but no one has been able to discover the source."

"Right, of course," Nanao said frowning down at the numbers. What was she missing? She'd already accounted for the spontaneous party Kyouraku had thrown last week that she'd refused to attend. He'd thrown it under the guise of celebrating a non-seated squad member's engagement, but Nanao knew it was really just an excuse for everyone to get drunk, and she'd had no interest in being there to witness it. "I'll have him look into it just as soon as he's in. Leave the mission orders there."

"Yes, Ise Fukutaicho," the messenger said promptly. "The 1st expects his report by the end of the day."

That got her attention. There was no guarantee that she'd even see Kyouraku by the end of the day. "Wait," she shouted, but the messenger was already gone.

Nanao sighed and removed her glasses rubbing the bridge of her nose. She'd been Kyouraku's Fukutaicho for five and a half years now. After the first six months they'd come to their vague agreement and formed a working relationship over time, but she still wasn't able to get him into the office with any sort of consistency. He let her run the division for the most part however she liked, but he still didn't see any need to operate up to code. He came and went as he pleased, and the only way she ever got him to important meetings and missions was by searching him out and dragging him in by the ear. Sometimes that could take hours, and if he really didn't want to be found it could take days.

How was she ever going to get him in time to complete a high level mission today? Nanao cracked her neck and dragged the mission orders towards her. They were marked with a 1st division seal meant to be broken only by a Taicho. Well, it wasn't the first time she'd broken the seal. Kyouraku never seemed to mind when she handled his work for him. She didn't see how this would be any different. She'd just bring their third and fourth seat along with her. How bad could it be?

* * *

><p>"Where is she?" he growled at a passing healer as he stormed into the 4th. The healer yelped and pointed down a nearby hallway.<p>

"Shunsui, calm down," Jyuushiro counseled. "The messenger said she's alive."

"And in Retsu-san's care," Shunsui corrected. "You know as well as I do that means it was bad."

"And you know Retsu-san will be giving her the best care possible."

"What was she thinking going out there?" Shunsui demanded as he paced down the hallways following the trail of Retsu's reiatsu. "It was a Taicho level request."

"Well, how was she supposed to find you Shun? You know she wouldn't just let an order go unfulfilled. Even the messenger sending news of her injuries had to come find me instead, and it took me nearly most of the day to find you out in the 25th district. I wasn't even aware you could clamp down on your reiatsu that well."

"I've had plenty of practice with Nanao-chan over the last few years," Shunsui grumbled. "Girl can find a needle in a haystack faster than most people can find their own hands."

"I'll have to ask her for lessons," Jyuushiro said with a small laugh.

"If she's ok," Shunsui said bleakly.

"She will be." Retsu interrupted the two men as she stepped into the hall and closed the door of a room behind her. "She'll need a few weeks of rest, but I managed to stabilize her and heal the worst of it."

"Can I see her?" Shunsui asked looking past her shoulder to the door.

"Not right now. There are delicate kidos in there I'd rather you not mess up."

"I wouldn't," Shunsui started, but stopped with a look from Retsu.

"You'll be able to see her tomorrow," she said simply. "May I have a word with you privately?"

"That's my cue to leave," Jyuushiro said with a weak smile.

"Coward," Shunsui muttered.

"Hey, I'm not taking Retsu-san's wrath because of you." With that Jyuushiro fled quickly down the hall.

Shunsui followed the serene healer to her office and sighed when she shut the door. It was never a good sign when Retsu wanted a private word.

"Your Fukutaicho nearly died today," she stated simply. "And for the first time, it actually would have been your fault. She should have never gone after that hollow."

"I didn't tell her to," Shunsui defended. Hell, he always told the girl to calm down and put off work. She really needed to relax, make some friends, or take a lover.

"Shunsui-san, it's fine if you want to let your Fukutaicho run your division," Retsu sighed. "Do whatever you like, but there are certain things she can't be expected to handle. I'm shocked no one was killed today. The only reason your 3rd and 4th seat are alive is because she told them to run. Apparently Ise-san has been holding back on us all as far as her kido goes. She's at a mastery level, and it's a good thing too or she'd never have gotten away with her life. As it is, that hollow is still on the loose."

"I'll take care of the hollow," Shunsui said darkly. In fact he'd quite enjoy taking care of the hollow. He stood up and Retsu stopped him with a touch to his arm.

"The Kido Corps were alerted."

"Alerted to what?"

"The monitors in the research division went off when Ise-san was fighting. They know she's at a mastery level now," Retsu said sadly.

"And the Kido Corps want to take her," Shunsui concluded.

"They are already submitting their case to the Soutaicho," Retsu confirmed.

"He'll never transfer her. He knows the 8th is only running like it is because she's there."

Retsu sighed. "Shunsui-san, I know you're trying to maintain your distance from her, but it obviously isn't serving her any better than your closeness with Yadomaru-san served Yadomaru-san. We're soldiers. Bad things happen no matter what choices we make so perhaps its time to stop trying to prevent the inevitable and instead embrace what you do have. I've seen too many people die not to know it's better to appreciate the here and now. You and I both know the Soutaicho will transfer her if you don't put up a fight for her to stay. She's proven she's valuable beyond paperwork. He'll find you another administrative aide. He can't risk losing a kido master to something as simple as not being kept from missions above her level. If you fight it, you'll have a chance of keeping her, but you know that would mean things would have to change. You couldn't go back to pretending that you simply tolerate her presence. The choice is yours."

"If she wants to go, I'll let her."

"If she'd wanted to leave," Retsu said, "She'd already have done it."

"That was before staying almost got her killed."

* * *

><p>Shunsui was exhausted. The hollow had been hard to track and he'd spent most of the night shunpoing through forest far outside the districts. When he'd caught up to the monster he'd been too annoyed to give it the time of day. He'd simply lopped its head off in a surprise attack from behind and started the long trek back. He'd made it back to the 4th late the next morning and spent the last two hours trying to fall asleep in an uncomfortable chair next to Nanao's bed, but it wasn't working.<p>

A groan from the bed alerted him that she was coming to. "Nanao-chan?" he asked. Her eyelids fluttered and he was met by those big indigo eyes. He'd only seen her with her glasses off once or twice before in the past five and a half years, and every time the color surprised him. She groaned again and tried to sit up, but he put a restraining hand on her shoulder to keep her still.

"Retsu-san said you shouldn't be moving around a lot. Do you want water?" He handed the glass over to her and helped her shaking hand keep it steady while she drank. Her arm was black and blue where one of the Hollow's tentacles had wrapped around her at some point in her fight. She was lucky her wrist hadn't been broken.

"Kasaki-san and Enjoji-san?"

"They're alive, thanks to you," Shunsui said setting the glass down on the side table. "What were you thinking taking on that mission?"

"I was thinking I couldn't find you and someone had to do it," she said and rolled her eyes. A coughing fit shook her and he could see pain flash across her face. The hollow had nearly bitten straight through her on her left side and several ribs were broken. She was probably regretting regaining consciousness.

"I'm getting Retsu-san," Shunsui said quickly. "Hang on." He didn't want to leave her coughing and obviously in pain, but he didn't know what else to do. Catching a healer by the collar he sent him off in search of Retsu and returned to Nanao's side. The coughing had subsided and she was trying to get to the water glass again. He caught her as she nearly tumbled out of bed. A small shriek left her mouth at the impact with his arms. "Sorry," he mumbled, helping her back into the bed. "You are allowed to ask for help you know."

"I thought I could reach it," she grouched and grimaced.

"You nearly died," he chastised. "I think you should probably lie as still as possible."

"I'm fine."

"You really are the most stubborn woman I've ever met." He flopped inelegantly into the chair and thrust the water glass towards her again. She took it with a sniff. "Nanao," he started after a moment, but was cut off when Retsu entered the room. The next half hour was spent in the lobby while Retsu tended to her now conscious patient. When he was finally allowed back in Nanao looked like she was on the edge of sleep again.

"I really am ok," she said quietly. "It isn't your fault."

He laughed humorlessly. "I was deliberately hiding from you and doing my job, which you therefore had to do for me. Then you nearly got killed. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as my fault."

"You didn't tell me to go on that mission," she pointed out.

He sighed. "The Kido Corps are putting in a request for your transfer."

"What?" She tried to sit up and only made it halfway before collapsing again.

"You set off the sensors in the 12th. Apparently you're at a master level."

Nanao brought her hand up to cover her eyes and groaned. "I was afraid of that. It's why I held off using those levels against the hollow as long as I could."

"You didn't want them to know?"

"I knew they'd try to recruit me if they did."

"Wouldn't you like to be a part of the Kido Corps?" He was genuinely surprised that she had no interest. It seemed only natural that she'd want to go with her strengths. It'd be much easier for her than what she had to deal with at the 8th.

"If I did, wouldn't I have already gone?" she asked with a sigh. "I know kido is my strong suit. I just don't want that to be the only thing I know. If I went to the Kido Corps I'd just spend the rest of my life tucked away studying kido. It isn't what I want."

"You've never even thought about it?"

"When I was younger," she admitted. "I discussed it with Yadomaru-san. She said she'd support my decision, but that there was more to life than kido. She thought I could be more than what they'd let me be. I took the advice to heart."

"I'm sure she had something better in mind for you than this."

"And what's so bad about the way I am now?" Nanao asked defensively.

"That isn't what I meant to imply Nanao-chan," he corrected quickly. "I simply meant I'm sure Lisa-chan wanted something better for you than chasing after a delinquent drunk Taicho."

"She was ok with it," Nanao said with a slight shrug.

"She didn't have to work half as hard as you do," he admitted.

Nanao's face stilled and Shunsui recognized the professional mask she put on when she felt like her real emotions may be inappropriate. "I'll try to be more efficient in the future, sir."

"Again, not what I meant," he said. "Lisa-chan had more help from me."

"You two had a different relationship. You owe me nothing, sir."

"That's not true." Trust this woman to make his life difficult even when he was trying to admit he was wrong. "I'm the Taicho, not you. I should shoulder my share of the responsibility, beyond that I think you believe that I don't like you." She opened her mouth, probably to deny it, and he cut her off. "I've kept you at arms length on purpose, and it has nothing to do with me not liking you. Besides the nagging, you're someone I'd very much enjoy spending time with. I have no doubts we could be very good friends if I ever stopped being a complete annoyance to you."

"You aren't a complete annoyance, sir," she said giving him a rare half smile. It faded quickly though as a cut in her lip split open again and made her wince. "Either way you don't have to explain yourself to me."

"Yes, I do," he said simply. "At least I do if I'm going to ask you to stay."

"Are you asking me to stay?" Her eyes watched him intently and he worried once again what would happen if he truly let this woman into his life.

He wasn't lying when he said he knew they could be friends. Over the past few years he'd learned enough to know that they had similar tastes in music, food, literature and half a dozen other small things. She could keep up with him mentally in games and matches of wit, and she had a deep seeded streak of loyalty and honesty – two things he valued dearly. It didn't hurt that she was beautiful too. They had their fights, but he'd always known the minute she got close he'd not be able to stand losing her. In their line of work that was unacceptable. Apparently all the precautions in the world hadn't helped though; he was already unwilling to watch her walk away.

"I am, and you should refuse me."

"I'm not going to refuse as long as the Soutaicho approves it," she said quickly.

He held up a hand to silence her and frowned. "Nanao-chan, if you stay we can't go on the way we have been. You should refuse me until you set conditions that will make your life more bearable."

"Sir, are you demanding that I give you an ultimatum?" she asked obviously confused.

"Essentially yes." He couldn't believe he was having her do this, but he wasn't going to get the notice that she'd died doing his job while he got wasted, and it'd honestly been so long since he'd stepped up to that particular plate that he needed her to let him know what she needed. She was too proper to ever offer it up unprompted, unless he'd pushed her over the edge into a fit of anger and he figured the girl was in no state to be put into a rage.

"Ok," she said cautiously. "Then it'd be nice if you came into work at a set time every day, even if it was only for a few hours, so that I'd know when and where I could find you."

"I'll be in at one every day, rain or shine," he agreed simply.

She quirked an eyebrow at him and then continued. "It'd be nice if you could take over one of the training classes. Our higher seats do an admirable job, but I think the recruits could stand to learn from the best."

"Which one?"

"There is a sword play class at three in the afternoon every Tuesday and Thursday," she said. "It's attended by the higher level recruits who are most on top of their duties. It would be a special incentive to have that class taught by you personally."

"Done."

"Are you serious?" Nanao asked skeptically.

"Make a list, Nanao-chan, and I will meet your demands as I can," he confirmed. "Although if that list includes staying sober at all times and conforming to dress code you will be out of luck."

"And what would I owe you for all these changes?"

Of course she couldn't accept it at face value, not that he'd given her any reason to believe he'd willingly do work. "No more taking on missions that are meant specifically for me without my approval," he said. "As long as you don't demand that I am in the office all day every day, which I assure you I will fail at, I'll leave my reiatsu signature more open so that you can find me."

"And that's it? Your request is that I do less of your work?"

"I would also like you to attend some of the division parties and events. It works both ways. If you want me to be more a part of the 8th then you need to be too."

"I hardly see how parties qualify as being part of the 8th," she said rolling her eyes.

"It's part of who we are," he said with a small grin. "No one is all work, Nanao-chan. You run the division efficiently and the recruits respect you, but how many of them like you?"

"I don't need them to like me."

"You do if you want me to be an active Taicho and set the tone for the division," he said calmly. "We don't run the 8th with fear tactics or cold professionalism. We'll leave that to the 12th and the 6th. Do you remember the 8th from when you were a child?"

"Of course I do."

"Then you know we're more than a division, if we do this right, we're a family."

"Don't think I don't know what you're really asking me to do," she said coldly.

"And what's that?" he asked amused. Of course she'd see to the heart of things instantly.

"You're asking me to put my heart on the line every time we send anyone into the field. To know them personally and bleed with them."

"Being a true leader comes at a very high price," Shunsui agreed. "It's a price I've been unwilling to pay for many years now. If you are asking me to do this, if you want to stay and run the 8th at my side, then you have to be willing to go all in too. Being an officer isn't all about paperwork."

"The 6th does fine," she defended.

"Then transfer to the 6th."

"You're opening us both up to what happened with Yadomaru Fukutaicho all over again," she said quietly.

"Yes," he answered seriously. "So ask yourself if it's truly worth the risk. If it isn't, I'm content to let you transfer to the kido corps and go back to keeping the division as handicapped as possible. You're forcing my hand Nanao-chan, make sure it's what you really want."

She was silent for a long moment and he couldn't decide which way he wanted her to choose. If he was honest he didn't want to see her go, but he knew it would hurt a lot less to see her walk away now than lose her later to some tragic event.

"I want this," Nanao said finally meeting his eyes. "No matter the cost. We owe it to the troops and ourselves. All in. Bankai, I suppose you could say," she finished with a small laugh.

He gave her a small grin and sighed. "Get some sleep. You and I will start training when you are released from the 4th." He stood up to leave and was stalled when she spoke again.

"Training, sir?"

"Of course. I'm not going to work and go into the field with a Fukutaicho whose ability levels I know nothing about. If we're going to work as a team I need to know you have my back and when I need to have yours."

Nanao mulled it over for a second and then nodded her head curtly. "I'd prefer to do it privately."

"Can't wait to get me alone, can you?" he asked with a smirk.

"Surprise has its advantages, sir," she said with a shrug. "I'm no Kenpachi. I don't need to brag or have the enemy know my weak points. In a real fight, the point is winning, not playing fair."

Kyouraku gave her a savage grin. They'd suit each other just fine. What others would have called cowardly, he considered practical. He wanted her to walk out of fights alive, and for that she'd need a viciousness many starry eyed recruits didn't understand. Hell, even some of the upper ranks got so hung up on their honor that they failed to see that in a war only the winning side was in the right. "In private then Nanao-chan. Our weaknesses will be the other's secrets."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you SxN, Lillololly, 0Sam0, DressedWithBlack, LadyAlandra, Megiddo, SiriusHarryPotter, and BendersLastCircuit for all the reviews. I'm glad there are still ShunsuixNanao lovers out there :) I'm also glad you're enjoying the fic since it's a bit of a different format from my previous fics and I wasn't sure how it was going to play out. Love hearing what you think!**


	4. Six Years Later

Nanao dropped into a roll as his long sword swept down into the space she'd just been occupying and, regaining her footing, caught the edge of his short sword on her own blade. She hated sword fighting. He modified his style to work with hers, but she always got her ass handed to her when he didn't allow the use of kido. Luckily those instances had been rare over the past six years that they had been training together. She disengaged to dodge his long sword again and backed up.

"Come at me," Kyouraku commanded.

"Why? It's pointless."

"Use your advantages."

"What advantages?" she asked sourly backing up across the secluded field.

"Speed and size, come on, slip past my defenses."

"You're faster than me, you ass," she griped. They'd had a fight the other night, and she was sure he was punishing her for it indirectly.

"Never get any better if you don't try," he commented with a shrug.

She lunged forward using her fastest shunpo to come at him with quick strikes and retreats trying to find an opening. The fight the other night was his stupid fault anyway. They'd been at a birthday party for the Soutaicho, which had consisted of familiar faces from the Seireitei and some minor nobility from outside of it. She'd met a perfectly nice man who she hadn't been totally averse to going to bed with if things had happened to go that direction, but she hadn't been aware at the time that the man and her Taicho despised each other. Apparently it was some old childhood feud, but Kyouraku had had no qualms about demanding that she stay away from the man when he'd managed to get her alone. She'd not taken that very well and stormed off to continue her conversation. He'd taken that equally as badly and proceeded to get wasted to the point that she wound up having to take him home. The resulting fight they'd had the next morning had left them not speaking for the rest of the weekend and, she was convinced, to this particularly brutal training session.

She missed a step and his short sword left a deep gash in her left thigh. Blood started gushing out and Nanao nearly missed stopping his next swing.

"Focus," he chided.

Screw it, she thought, fed up with sword fighting and hammered off a litany of kido spells at him. The onslaught sent him slamming back to the ground and tumbling a few meters before a tree stopped his progress. It was the wrong move. He came flying back across the field at her, leaving her desperately trying to fend off his kido attacks as well as his sword. She quickly found herself on the ground with the tip of his long sword pressed firmly against her throat.

"That was dirty, Nanao-chan," he said neutrally.

"It's not like you wanted a fair fight," she said glaring up at him. "I can't beat you with swords, and that wasn't training, that was punishment."

"You're bleeding out," he commented moving to re-sheath his swords.

"You aren't even going to deny it then?" She moved to sit up and ignored her bleeding leg.

"What could I possibly be punishing you for?"

"I don't know," she growled. "Daring to disagree with you?"

"You disagree with me constantly," he countered.

"Then maybe showing interest in a male other than yourself?"

"You aren't my property," he said with a shrug and watched her passively as she struggled to her feet.

"Then you tell me what you're pissed about."

"I told you that man was bad news, and you completely disregarded it," he said simply.

"I knew it!" she crowed. "Just admit that you were pissed that I disagreed with you, and thought he was nice, and wouldn't have minded sleeping with him."

"You're missing the point entirely." He started walking away, his whole body rigid with anger.

"How's that?" she demanded limping after him.

"I could care less if you disagree with me and I have never intervened with your dalliances." She snorted at his turn of phrase. She had by far less "dalliances" than he did. "What I don't like is that you didn't trust me enough to walk away. That man is bad news. Sure he seems nice on the surface, but he's a snake in the grass, and you should know me well enough to know that I wouldn't ask you to stay away for anything less."

"Kyouraku Taicho," she said in surprise.

"I have never given you a reason not to trust me at my word," he finished sharply. He continued his long strides across the field and away from her.

"I didn't," she started and nearly lost her footing. She lunged at him and caught his arm preventing herself from falling completely. "Would you stop?"

He stilled but didn't turn to face her. "I'm sorry," she said simply. "I wasn't thinking of it that way. It's not that I don't trust you. I just thought you were being possessive. You are aware that your flirtation with me has scared off nearly every man in the Seireitei, aren't you? I thought perhaps this was an extension of that. If I'd thought for a second it was anything else I would have walked away."

"I've never stopped you from your relationships."

"I wouldn't call what I've had relationships," Nanao said flippantly and at his withering look backtracked. "Look, you've been a little over the top lately with the flirting and I just thought this was the next step up in protectiveness."

"It's just a joke," he said crossly. "I wouldn't even flirt if it didn't rile you up so badly. I've never in my long life met a woman who reacts so terribly to a compliment. I only wanted you to stay away from that man because he dated my cousin a long time ago and beat her horribly. She covered it up and said she fell, but I know it was him."

"Kyouraku Taicho," Nanao sighed. "I appreciate the thought, but if he'd tried to hurt me he would have gotten a nasty surprise. We haven't been training all these years for nothing."

"I know that," he growled frustrated. "Again it wasn't about him being able to hurt you or not, it was about him being a disgusting excuse for a human that you shouldn't even waste breath on."

"Why didn't you just tell me what he did instead of just saying a vague he's a 'bad guy' and I should stay away?"

"I didn't think I had to," he said pulling away from her hold. She stumbled and nearly fell before righting herself. "I thought you would just trust me, considering I've never butted in or lied before."

"Taicho," Nanao started and sighed. "I'm sorry, ok? But you have to admit you could have handled that better too."

His shoulders slumped and she waited in silence to see if the apology would be enough. "You trust me on the field, Nanao-chan, but you're never going to trust me as a friend, are you?"

"Sir-"

"Stop," he sighed. "That was a good enough answer on its own. Can you make it to the 4th or do you need me to take you?"

"Shunsui-san," she said quietly and he glanced at her over his shoulder. "You are my friend, and I do trust you, but I'm new to this alright? You are going to have to cut me some slack."

"New to what?"

"The friend thing, ok? I've never had anyone I would really call a friend. I have acquaintances, and work friends, and people I would call on to get lunch during the workday or do group activities with, but no one who is invested in my life. No one I could call if I got sick and just needed sympathy and no one who I could just believe because they asked me to with little to no proof to back them up. The closest I ever had to that was Yadomaru-san and she was more mentor than friend. I grew up in the Gotei 13. I grew up at work. Half the time I don't know what the hell you're thinking or feeling or how I'm supposed to react."

"I'm not hard to read, Nanao-chan," he said dryly

"That's bullshit," she argued. "You play like you aren't hard to read, laughing and joking and always so lighthearted, but that isn't everything. That isn't you, and we both know it. So don't you dare ask me to be a friend and trust you blindly if you are only willing to offer up the façade you give to everyone else."

She started limping to a nearby rock and a moment later got scooped up in strong arms and then settled on the boulder gently. Kyouraku didn't say anything, but ripped the pant leg open further and kneeled down to get a better look at the gash he'd created. His hands lit up with kido, and she let her eyes flutter closed when the pain receded as he worked on the injury.

"Sometimes I forget that someone so brilliant at all things technical could be so emotionally stunted," he said, but there was teasing in his tone

"Sometimes I forget that someone so ridiculous can say something he actually means," Nanao snapped back, opening her eyes again and glaring at him.

He looked up from her leg and caught her gaze. His eyes said that all was forgiven and she begrudgingly gave him a small smile. "I'll cut back on the flirting."

"You don't have to. I know it's just you being silly and having a go at me, and it's not like I really want to sleep with people I work with in the Seireitei anyway. Let the idiots be scared off. Besides I don't think you are actually capable of not flirting."

"Still, it can't help your authority," he admitted softly.

"Shunsui-san, I could give a shit less what those morons think. If they want to say I got this job on my knees let them."

"They say that?" he asked disgusted.

"Of course they do," she said with a shrug. She'd been dealing with it for years now. "But if they ever want to follow their words up with actions I'll show them exactly how I got my job. Let them talk."

"I don't mean to get in your way."

"So you're obnoxious and occasionally scare potential one night stands off." She lifted a foot to his shoulder and shoved him off balance with a laugh. "I'd rather have you as a friend than find an easy lay any day."

He didn't bother to get off the ground as he smiled up at her. "Come home with me next weekend."

"What?"

"You heard me, come home with me. You can meet my family and get to know me better," he offered. "That way you'll know you can trust me on and off the field."

"Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

"Not if we're friends. Jyuushiro visits my family with me all the time, and I'm not asking you to go as my Fukutaicho."

"Sir, I'm not good with nobles," Nanao said quietly.

"Good, neither am I," he answered with a laugh.

"Fine, but I'm leaving if you tell them something ridiculous like I'm pregnant with your child."

"Nanao-chan," he said wide-eyed. "What a brilliant idea!"

She threw a half-hearted kido at him and he rolled out of the way. "We should be getting back. There's a pile of paperwork to be done."

"I think I better go check in to see how Jyuu's day is going."

"Don't even think about it," she chastised standing up and testing out her newly healed leg. "If I have to go to your family's this weekend it means I won't be able to get any work done, which means you _are_ helping me this week."

"But Nanao-chan."

"No, I'm changing and then we are going into the office."

"Do I get to be there for the changing part?" he asked quirking an eyebrow.

"You may stand out in the hallway."

"Okay," he agreed happily.

She glared at him and knew he had the full intention of bailing if she left him alone. "Sir, I will hunt you down and burn your hat if you run."

"You'd have to catch me, and I know for a fact you aren't as fast as me."

"Fine, then I'm not going this weekend," she said with a shrug.

"Yare, yare, Nanao-chan is no fun. I'll do the work," he said sounding like the most abused man who had ever walked the face of the earth.

"I am sorry I didn't take you at your word."

"It's fine Nanao-chan, I'm sorry I didn't explain myself better. I'm also sorry I beat you up quite so badly."

"Yeah well if you hadn't cheated by making it swords only, you'd have never gotten that many hits in."

"Big talk," he said with a laugh that made her grin. "Next training session is all kido."

"Get ready to get destroyed," she challenged.

He threw his arm around her waist and she allowed it since no one was around for miles. He was glad she'd at least come to trust him enough to stop flinching away from his touch in private a few years ago. "My sweet Nanao-chan, could never destroy me. If she did who would drink all the sake the division piles up?"

"Idiot," she sniffed. "Last one home buys dinner." She waited for him to start to shunpo, tripped him, and then took off with a smile while he whined about her being cruel behind her. This friendship thing might not be so bad after all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: You guys are the best. Your reviews make me excited to keep writing and posting. Currently working on another smutty fic and I can't decide if it will ever see the light of day since it's outside of my wheelhouse as I've never done lemons before. Anyway tell me what you think of this chapter, and thank you Megiddo, Lillololly, Neko-Natsu, laughingspider, and liferscove2118 for the feedback and encouragement!**


	5. Ten Years Later

Nanao scooped the kid up before he could run head first into the end of the table chasing the cat. He twisted in her arms and she set him down safely off to the right of it and let him run off again.

"Nice save, Nanao-chan," Shunsui said coming into the kitchen with bags of groceries in his arms.

"I've had practice with you whenever you get drunk," she said with a grin. She reached out and lifted one of the bags off of him. "Are you sure your mother said it was alright for you to make dinner?"

"I'm sure she would have if I'd ask," he said with a shrug, as he made his way back further into the kitchen.

"Shunsui," she said with a sigh. "Maybe we should let the cooks handle dinner."

"Mom won't care, it'll be great. Besides I want to do it tonight before the extended family gets here for Christmas Eve tomorrow."

"But it's one thing when you do it and make a mess," Nanao protested as he started unpacking the bags. "You're her son, but I'm just a guest messing up her kitchen."

"First off, you assume my mother ever enters the kitchen or has anything to do with its cleaning. Second, Mom loves you Nanao-chan. You've been at every family holiday for the last ten years. I don't know why you continue to insist you're just a guest here."

"Well I'm the only non-family that comes to the holidays," she said eyeing the ingredients.

"Would you be more comfortable going somewhere else?" he asked, suddenly focused on her intently. "We can spend the holiday in the Seireitei if you prefer. I don't mean to always make you come here."

"No, it's just I feel bad always putting your family out. It's not like I can return the favor," Nanao said fiddling with a wrapper to ignore his scrutiny.

"Nanao-chan," he said, gently nudging her shoulder with his. "You count as family at this point so stop worrying about it."

"Still the cooks and the servants can't appreciate you making such a mess."

"They only have to deal with it a couple times a year and I'm the only family member that makes sure to get them all holiday gifts," he pouted. "I'll even sign your name to the gifts this year if you're so worried."

"Fine, do what you like as always," she said with a sigh.

"Glad we're agreed, now do you think you can handle the sauce?"

"If you insist."

* * *

><p>"Uncle Shunsui, pony again," the three-year-old yelled as he tugged on Shunsui's sleeve.<p>

"I think your mom wants you, kiddo," Shunsui said smiling down at his rambunctious nephew. He'd played the horse for his nephew and his four-year-old niece several times after dinner tonight and was getting worn out.

"Your uncle would be correct," Shunsui's sister-in-law said as she swooped down on the little boy. "Say goodnight to your Uncle Shunsui and Aunt Nanao. You too Rika-chan."

Both kids put up a protest arguing that their elder brother got to stay awake, but eventually their mother won out. Shunsui had to admit he was a little relieved. He liked kids, but he was more than content to let their parents take over and handle the tough stuff.

"She's good with them," Shunsui's own mother commented coming up behind him as he tried to work a newly created knot out of his back.

"I would hope so, she's their mother."

"No, Nanao-chan, she's good with children." Shunsui glanced over at the couch where Nanao was curled up with his oldest nephew reading a book out loud.

"Are you surprised?"

"A bit," his mother admitted. "From what she's told us of her childhood she didn't have much of one, or any family to call her own for that matter. She comes off as so cold and impersonal when you first meet her."

"I thought you liked her when you met her," Shunsui said surprised.

"Oh I did, but that had more to do with her martial arts interest than her being particularly friendly."

Shunsui snorted. The first time he'd brought Nanao home she'd been up to the wee hours of the morning with his mother discussing martial arts. His family had turned out many martial arts masters over the years and his mother had been delighted to find someone more interested than her second son. Shunsui had always been good at hand-to-hand combat, but had very little interest in it. Nanao however had been enthralled and had come out several times, sometimes even without him, to train with his mother.

"Our division is a rambunctious lot," he said with a shrug. "Nanao-chan is often more a mother than a Fukutaicho, though she'd murder me if she heard me say it. She's just a very strict mother who doesn't mind leaving a bruise when necessary."

His mother murmured an agreement, but her focus remained on Nanao.

"Oy, what are you planning?" Shunsui asked.

"Not here," his mother said lightly and turned to glide down the hall. Shunsui gave Nanao one last look catching her eye and smiling at her. She rolled her eyes in return before switching her attention back to his nephew who was struggling with a big word. He turned and followed his mother down the hall and out into the moonlit garden.

"I want to make Nanao-chan part of the family."

Shunsui sighed. He'd worried about that when his mother had started asking him more and more about Nanao and inviting her over more often over the past year. "Mom, I'm not going to marry Nanao-chan. We aren't interested in each other that way. We're friends, so you can stop right now."

"I don't see why you wouldn't be interested in her that way. She's lovely, intelligent, and for some reason likes you enough to stick around longer than any other woman in your life."

"Mom," he started, but she cut him off.

"But it doesn't matter. I already knew you felt that way, and I've given up hope of you marrying anyway. I want to adopt her."

"What?" Shunsui asked shell-shocked. Of all the things he thought his mother might think or do the last option had honestly never crossed his mind. "You can't."

"Why not?" his mother asked giving him a sharp glare. "She has no family and no roots. I love her and I have never had a daughter of my own. I want her to do well. She has everything going for her except her family name. If she were a Kyouraku nothing would be beyond her reach. She'd never have to worry about coming to our home, as it would be hers too. She'd never have to want for money or anything else for that matter, and it would give her the right bargaining power to find the correct kind of husband."

"I didn't know Nanao-chan was so interested in securing a high-born husband," he said tightly. "Nor did I realize she was struggling quite so hard being a Fukutaicho of the Gotei 13. Did she say something to you about her salary? I wasn't aware it was an issue."

"Oh Shunsui, don't be a stubborn ass. Of course she didn't say anything and of course you aren't mistreating her." He opened his mouth and she cut him off. "No you didn't say that, but it's what you are assuming I was implying. There is nothing wrong with her as she is, but you must admit the Kyouraku name can make everything easier. It would also give us the right to interfere on her behalf should anything happen in the future. And as for a marriage, with our name she'd be an eligible wife for anyone from the Shiba and Kuchiki Clans on down. Let her marry for love if she wants, I don't care, but this way there are no restrictions on who she can love."

"Unless she wants a Rukongai street rat," Shunsui argued. "Then she'd be besmirching the good Kyouraku name."

"Shunsui, right now that girl is a Rukongai street rat and I would let you marry her in a heartbeat our last name be damned."

"Father," he started.

"Your father can be persuaded to see sense easier than you think," she said with a shrug. "You were just never patient enough to do it right."

"There is no reason to adopt her," Shunsui said crossing his arms.

"There are plenty of reasons, many of which I just stated," his mother said calmly. "What I have yet to hear is a reason why we shouldn't. What harm would it do her to have the Kyouraku name?"

"It'd be weird," he blurted out. He was not the type of man that said things without thinking about them first. For all his pretenses as a drunken fool he rarely ever did or said anything without some strategy behind it. Leave it to his mother to bring out the child in him.

"It'd be weird?" she asked incredulously. "That is your only reason for not adopting her, because it'd be weird?"

"She's not my sister."

"So what? She's your friend, who you've made it repeatedly clear you don't want to sleep with. What is that if not a sister in everything but name? Do you not consider Jyuushiro-kun your brother? Is he not also a friend you have no desire to sleep with?"

"It's not the same."

His mother rolled her eyes. He seemed to inspire that a lot in the women in his life. "I want to adopt her, Shunsui, and if you can't give me a proper reason why I shouldn't than I'm going to proceed."

"It would just change things," he argued.

"It wouldn't change anything of importance," his mother said glaring. "Unless you want to leave open the possibility of sleeping with her in the future? And frankly any daughter of mine can do better than a one-night stand with you. I love you darling, but you don't deserve a girl like that in your bed if you aren't willing to marry her."

"I don't want to sleep with her," Shunsui defended.

"Then you think she isn't good enough for the family name?"

"Of course not."

"Shunsui, take the evening and think on it. But unless you have a good reason for me in the morning I am going to bring it up with her." That said his mother swept back into the house and left him confused and upset in the garden.

He wasn't sure what about the whole adoption idea was so off putting to him. His mother was right, had it been Jyuushiro in a similar position he'd have been thrilled to have his family adopt him and make Jyuushiro his brother in name as well as in his heart. But with Nanao it was different, though he couldn't say why. He supposed he was right with the first thing he'd said. It would be weird.

Right now their friendship was a comfortable thing that had grown and evolved over the past decade. They both knew their parts and played them. Being siblings, even adopted ones would change that. No more flirting just to see her riled up. What did brothers even tease their sisters about? He supposed when he was young and went home with Jyuushiro for Academy holidays he'd seen Jyuushiro good-naturedly tease his sisters about a range of things from their looks, to their singing voices, to their choice in men. He tried to picture himself and Nanao in a similar situation and couldn't do it. They did not have a shared childhood to take the sting off such teasing. So should he then treat her formally, like Retsu-san? Or as a drinking partner like Matsumoto-chan? Or maybe like Jyuushiro-san's little third seat? Shunsui shook his head. None of it worked. None of it was right. None of it was them.

But would his mother accept that as a valid point? And more so was it fair to do to Nanao? She had the opportunity to become part of a noble house, and while being noble was not his favorite thing, he was no liar. It had made his life easier in some regards. Could he really deny her that because it made him uncomfortable?

Shunsui sighed and started back for the house. He knew his mother well enough to know she was serious about this. If he didn't have a reason by morning she would approach Nanao with the offer. Shunsui absently followed Nanao's reiatsu into the kitchens. His sister-in-law must have scooped his last nephew off to bed. He found her preparing tea and smiled. A highborn lady did not make her own tea. He tried to imagine Nanao as she would have been if she'd been raised as his sister. She'd probably be much like his brother's wife. A good woman with a couple of children by now. He wasn't even sure Nanao wanted children.

"What'd your mother say that has you brooding?" Nanao asked dragging him away from his thoughts.

"Nothing much, I was just wondering if you wanted children?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him, but didn't push. "I don't know. Sometimes I think yes and sometimes I think no. But as I've never had a real relationship I haven't put too much thought into it. I certainly wouldn't want to be knocked up by one of the men I've slept with. Why? Do you want children? Is your mother trying to marry you off?"

"No, she's not, and I like children but I suppose I've never pictured myself with any."

"Tea?" she asked holding out a cup to him.

He took the cup and sat down at the kitchen table the servants used. Taking a deep sip he almost choked as fire ran down his throat. "Nanao-chan," he said in surprise. "Did you spike my tea?"

"No, I spiked both of our tea," she said calmly sitting down across from him and taking a more delicate sip.

"You always berate me for doing this."

"I berate you because you do it during work hours. We are not currently on duty so we can drink tea however we like."

"Are you trying to get me drunk so you can have your wicked way with me?" he asked with a grin, and then instantly berated himself internally. It was things like that he'd have to stop saying if she were his sister.

"Like I'd need to get you drunk," she said with a very un-ladylike snort. "If I wanted to sleep with you I'd simply walk up to you and say let's have sex and you'd promptly agree."

"You think you're that attractive, do you?"

"I think you're that easy," she said with a half smile.

"Nanao-chan," he started then paused.

"Out with it," she said sipping her tea. "Something is troubling you."

"How do you see me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Am I a friend? A potential lover? A brother?" he asked taking another swig of his tea for fortification.

"Why this all of a sudden?"

"Is it a difficult question?"

"I suppose I've never stopped to think about it," she said looking at him over her teacup. "You are my friend, that is sure. You didn't give me many options in that arena. A potential lover? It would be too messy I think. I only sleep with men I don't care for and don't have to associate with after, and you would eventually grow tired of me as you do with every woman you bed. A brother though? I don't rightly know. I have never had a brother, or a sister, or a mother, or a father for that matter. Who am I to say what a family or a brother is?"

And that broke his heart. Even though he and his family had their difference, even though they hadn't known what to do with him or his reiatsu levels, even if he would call Yama-jii and Jyuushiro more father and brother than his blood, he did love his family. He had never not had someone to call family. Could he deny her the right to that feeling of security? Especially when it would be him and his family that could provide it?

"My mother wants to adopt you."

"What?" Nanao asked nearly dropping her cup. "Why?"

"She adores you and wants you as part of the family. You'd have the Kyouraku name and everything that goes along with it. Money, power, security."

"Since when have I needed those things?"

"You would have a family, Nanao-chan," he said quietly. "And as my mother was quick to point out you'd be in a good position to start your own. With the Kyouraku name many men would want you as their wife."

"And you would be my brother," Nanao said pensively.

"Aye, I would be your brother, Nanao-chan."

"The rumor mill would love that," Nanao said with a shake of her head. "Then not only would they say I fuck my Taicho, but my brother too."

"Obviously things would change between us," he said tossing back the rest of his tea. She rose to pour him more and he sighed. "I would stop flirting with you and I would make sure those rumors stop."

"And how would you do that?" she asked with a soft smile as she handed him the full cup. "Would you hunt down each man that says it and tell him it is a lie? They would just start to whisper it instead. Kyouraku Nanao, the brother fucker."

He'd not even contemplated how the Seireitei would take this adoption or the vile things some people would say. He supposed that was a reason for his mother. "We'll figure out a way if this is something you want. You could transfer to another division if you felt more comfortable."

"Are you doing this to get rid of me?" she asked and though her face remained impassive the distress in her voice was clear.

"No," he answered firmly. "Never. But I am not going to tell you you can't have a family if you want one. My mother loves you and I would try to be a good brother. Though my brother might tell you I am more annoying than anything else."

"You could never be my brother," she said fiercely.

"I thought you said you don't know what a brother is," he defended, but it relieved him to hear her say that.

"I know a little of what a brother isn't though. And you cannot be my brother," she said resuming her seat. "You are not supposed to see your brother as a man."

"I thought you said we weren't potential lovers."

"We aren't, that doesn't make me blind. You're attractive enough. If our situation was different I'm sure I wouldn't mind sleeping with you. That is not something you can think about your brother."

"At least not in polite society," he agreed. "So you will say no to the adoption because you find me unbearably attractive?"

"Hardly," she said and he felt his chest tighten. "I will say no because I have no interest in your name or your money, and I find you to be slightly above average in the looks department."

He relaxed as she said no. He still couldn't say why the whole ordeal had disturbed him so much, but he was sure he did not want Nanao as a sister. Nor did he have any interest in seeing some noble man ruin her with marriage. "Is it wrong to say I am happy you will refuse?"

"No," she said with a small smile finishing her own cup of tea. "I know you find me unbearable attractive too."

"My Nanao-chan is drunk to make such an accusation," he laughed.

She got up once more to pour another cup and smiled at him over her shoulder. "You find all women unbearably attractive. It's really not so much to assume. Your mother won't be upset with me, will she?"

"She'll understand," he said waving it off, but then noticed the anxiety on her face despite her trying to hide it. "Regardless of an adoption, we are your family now."

"But if you are not my brother, how is that possible?"

"I'll be your pet," he offered with a laugh. "The family dog. Loyal and true though a bit lazy and stupid at times. You can scratch behind my ears and cuddle with me on cold winter nights."

"You're an idiot," she said, but her tone betrayed her happiness and the flush riding high on her cheeks showed the alcohol affecting her. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand.

"I'm glad you'll stay with me Nanao-chan," he said simply. "I know I am not an easy man."

"I discard easy men as efficiently as you discard sake bottles," she said. "We fit the way we are."

He had to agree. They weren't siblings or lovers or anything else. They were just Nanao and Shunsui. Two unbearably attractive people who cared for one another.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Love the feedback! I know some of you thought it was too soon with the honorifics changes, but I'm playing them a bit differently with a stronger friendship outside the office than I usually do in fanfics, and obviously I have big time jumps in between each chapter where they came to those changes more naturally out of sight. I was worried at first the time jumps wouldn't play well, but I'm glad everyone is liking it so far, and don't worry she'd still rather die than call him by name in the office ;) As always thanks to my reviewers – glaznoe, pinkypunkful, Megiddo, Soul Neko-Natsu, 0Sam0, liferscove2118 – since each one makes my day a little brighter! **


	6. Seven and a Half Years Later

"Matsumoto-san, I am not wearing this," Nanao said tersely.

"Oh come on, live a little," the busty woman argued. "It's not even that risqué."

"It barely covers me." Nanao yanked on the skirt to illustrate her point.

"Sweetie, it's not even that far above the knee and it's a high neckline," Matsumoto comforted with a small laugh. "These dresses are all the rage in the living world."

"It has no sleeves," Nanao groused. "I haven't shown off this much skin ever despite what you think is risqué. I should at least have tights or something."

"Nanao-chan, you have to show at least a little skin," Matsumoto said. "It's a date auction after all. You'll get more money for the date if you're dressed like this instead of in your uniform."

"I still don't think this is a very good idea. There has to be a better way to raise money for the SWA. We could have a bake sale or something."

"We voted and you know this is the fastest way," Matsumoto said with a shrug. "If you really don't want to wear the dress you don't have to, but you'll only be hurting the SWA's fundraising."

Nanao snorted at that. "It's not like I'm going to be the money driver of this event," she said giving Matsumoto a significant look.

"I'm sure Shunsui-kun will pay quite a bit for a date with you," Matsumoto said grinning.

"You know we aren't like that. He'll just buy the date so that I'm not mortified when no one else bids," Nanao said glancing over as Isane came out of a makeshift dressing room. "How come she gets pants?"

"She gets pants because she has boobs to show off," Matsumoto said with a shrug. "Also, you're attractive. Lots of guys would date you if you put any signals out there you were interested. Not that the last decade of Shunsui-kun following you around has done you any favors. Now, I think we're going to have to do your hair down and a little eye shadow and mascara wouldn't hurt."

"You can't be serious. Look Kyouraku Taicho is going to buy the date regardless of what I look like."

"You're the vice president of the SWA. What are people going to think if you aren't putting your full effort into it? Besides I have fortifications," Matsumoto finished taking out a flask of alcohol.

"We're never doing this fund raiser again," Nanao said with a sigh. "Get it over with."

* * *

><p>"This is my new favorite event," Shunsui said grinning. He was comfortably seated in the bar the SWA had rented for the afternoon with sake in hand. Jyuushiro and the 9th's Tosen and Hisagi were at the table with them. He'd never gotten very close with Tosen, but the Hisagi boy had proven to be fun enough during drinking nights out. "They should make it an annual thing."<p>

"Kurotsuchi-san is creating quite the bidding war," Jyuushiro noted as another man shouted an absurd amount of money for a date with the 12th's fukutaicho.

"Wait till Matsumoto-san comes out," Hisagi said with a laugh. "Even Ichimaru Taicho can't scare people off bidding for her."

"Whoever decided on living world clothing should be kissed," Shunsui commented happily.

"Given they couldn't get Retsu-san out of her uniform," Ukitake said.

"Perhaps you'll be able to on your date with her, eh?" Shunsui nudged Jyuushiro in the side and only got a glare out of his best friend.

"She said I would buy that date for the stipulated amount of money or I would find the 4th less than pleasant in the future," Jyuushiro said with a shiver. "And all with a smile. No one is scarier than Retsu-san."

"Nanao-chan gives her a run for her money," Shunsui said with a laugh.

"How much did she tell you you had to buy her date for, Kyouraku Taicho?" Hisagi asked signaling for another drink.

"She might have implied that anyone garnering less than 8,000 kan would be embarrassed so Jyuushiro is going to start the bidding at 9,000 and I can be the hero and get her at an even 10,000."

"That's rather nice of you considering how often she beats the crap out of you with that book of hers. Are you going to bid on a date that actually wants to go out with you too?"

"Those smacks are merely love taps," Shunsui told Hisagi with a laugh. He and Nanao had become well known throughout the Seireitei for his ridiculous flirting and her harsh rebuffs. It was a fun game to see how far he could push her before she tried to do some actual damage. Even seven and a half years after the original idea of adopting her had come up, Shunsui was still glad she'd said no. Their relationship would have been irrevocably changed. "And I'm only buying a date for a good cause and because Nanao-chan would kill me if I let someone awful buy her date after Matsumoto-chan forced her into this. As a rule I like my dates with women who actually want to date me, no money involved."

Hisagi laughed. "That's fair. But sometimes you have to get them on the first date to convince them they like you. Looks like this round is coming to an end."

"How do you think they got Hitsugaya-kun to be the auctioneer?" Jyuushiro asked.

"Rangiku-chan probably bullied him into it," Shunsui said.

"Matsumoto-san is very persuasive," Hisagi said kindly and Shunsui almost laughed at the love struck look in the kid's eyes. It was no secret that Hisagi was head over heels for the woman. Not that Shunsui had never been in the same position, but he was glad he was old enough now to be over that stage. Women just didn't blindside him as much now that he was older and wiser.

Hitsugaya called for Ise Fukutaicho to come out and Shunsui smiled. He turned to his old friend to confirm that their plan was set as far as bidding and was worried when Jyuushiro choked on his drink and started coughing. "Are you ok?" Shunsui asked concerned the choking was going to set off a real coughing fit.

"I'm fine," Jyuushiro wheezed out, "I was just surprised."

"Surprised by what?" Kyouraku turned to try and catch what had upset his friend. His eyes found Nanao and all thoughts of his friend's health went right out the window.

"Has Ise-san always had legs like that?" Hisagi asked next to him with a small whistle. Shunsui was torn between punching the boy for noticing and dragging his Fukutaicho off the stage. She was obviously uneasy as she tugged at the short hemline of the dress, and Shunsui was sure Matsumoto had played a major role in this makeover, though how she'd gotten Nanao to wear her hair down was a question for another time.

"6,000 kan," a voice yelled from across the room and it cut through the general muttering that had begun since Nanao had stepped out on stage. Shunsui watched her shift nervously and finally caught her eyes. She gave a nervous little shrug and Shunsui pulled himself together.

He'd always known his Fukutaicho was attractive, but she went so far out of her way to downplay it he often forgot just how pretty she was. Beyond that she tried so hard not to be noticed in general that most men were only vaguely aware she existed outside of Shunsui hounding her. Matsumoto had fixed that. More men started bidding and Shunsui debated whether she'd want someone to take her out now that men were actually fighting over her or if she was just as uncomfortable by all of this as he was.

"Are you going to bid or just sit there?" Jyuushiro asked him sharply.

"We were only supposed to bid to make sure someone did," Shunsui said dazed.

"So you're going to let her go out with someone looking like that tonight?" Jyuushiro asked lifting an eyebrow.

"I don't own her, Jyuu," Shunsui said though the idea of it upset him. He knew Nanao occasionally slept with people, but she was always discreet and he honestly didn't think about it that often. Seeing men eye her up and down when she looked so vulnerable and nervous was something completely different.

"She's obviously not enjoying this," Hisagi pointed out. Suddenly Omaeda grabbed the empty seat at their table and yelled a bid.

"You're trying for Ise-san, Omaeda-san?" Hisagi asked surprised.

"Yeah, who knew she had legs like that, right?" Omaeda asked jovially obviously drunk and not paying the slightest bit of attention to the rest of the occupants at the table. "Wouldn't mind having those wrapped around me tonight. Surprised her Taicho isn't bidding, though I suppose he gets it for free."

Hisagi glanced at Shunsui and he could tell the boy thought he was going to lop the other man's head off. To be fair he didn't like Omaeda talking about Nanao that way, especially the comment about the two of them, but at the same time he couldn't blame the man for saying what most of the crowd was thinking. A man would have to be blind not to want her in his bed, which he supposed explained why Tosen seemed to be the only man not throwing out a bid.

He looked back at Nanao and saw her anxiety grow as she held herself more and more rigidly. That made his decision for him. She sure as hell wasn't going on a date she didn't even want. The bids slowed down as more men bowed out at the higher numbers. When Hitsugaya called going once for Omaeda's highest bid Shunsui threw out the next highest number and glared at the crowd that turned to look at him, daring them to bid higher. Omaeda quickly stumbled out of his chair and to the other side of the bar when he realized Shunsui was sitting right there. Hitsugaya asked for other offers and when none were forth coming called out congratulations and offered up the next name for the crowd.

Shunsui got to his feet and made his way up to the stage. Most of the women were being collected by their dates, with the exception of Retsu-san who had excused herself back to the 4th, and sitting with them until the auction was over when they'd head out to a predetermined restaurant where the SWA had set up dinner for the couples. Nanao had explained they didn't want anyone getting dragged off alone with a date they didn't feel comfortable with.

"All right, Nanao-chan?" he asked offering her a hand to help her down from the stage. She surprised him when instead of batting it away she took the proffered hand and stepped down. He gave it a squeeze and laced her hand through his arm at the elbow leading her back to the table.

"For a minute there I thought you weren't going to bid," she said quietly.

"I wasn't sure you'd want me to with your new found popularity," he admitted, subtly kicking a man's chair as they walked by and the guy tried to lean over and get a look up her skirt. The chair toppled over and tossed the man to the floor.

"Those were the most horrific minutes of my life," Nanao growled. "I've never felt so embarrassed. I'm never letting Matsumoto-san talk me into anything ever again."

"You shouldn't be embarrassed," he commented with a smile. "You look lovely."

"I look like a harlot," she said angrily. "And it's ridiculous that they're acting like they've never seen a woman before. And you were just going to sit there and let them torture me."

"I didn't want to take away your opportunity for a date if you wanted one," he said quietly as they approached the table.

"Since when have I ever liked going out on dates?" she hissed. To be honest he'd never heard of her going on a date ever. The few things she had told him about her romantic life strongly suggested she had no interest in maintaining a relationship other than a one and done scenario.

"I'm sorry, Nanao-chan, I should have bid sooner," he comforted.

"Damn right you should have," she said taking the seat he pulled out for her. "Hello Ukitake Taicho, Hisagi-san."

"Ise-san," Jyuushiro greeted. "You look wonderful."

"Thank you, Ukitake Taicho," she said with a slight blush touching her cheeks. Shunsui felt an irrational surge of jealousy, not that his friend was complimenting her, but that he'd gotten such a cute flush out of her. He had the market cornered on making her adorably uncomfortable. He threw his arm over her shoulder and she shrugged it off quickly.

"You're lucky you didn't end up on a date with Omaeda, Ise-san," Hisagi said with a grin.

"Kyouraku Taicho is the one who is lucky I didn't wind up on that date," she said shooting him a glare.

"I said I was sorry, Nanao-chan," he said with a pout. She just glared at him and when Hisagi and Ukitake turned back to the stage to watch the auction of Isane she stole his drink. He grinned at her and waved at the waitress for another. "I'll make it up to you on our date."

She kicked him under the table. "Just watch the stupid auction."

"But I've already won," he teased.

"You can't win an auction, you idiot."

"I'm pretty sure you're wrong this time," he said leaning over to pat her knee. She slapped his hand away and rolled her eyes. He slipped her drinks through the rest of the auction and even got a few laughs out of her with jokes over the chaos that Matsumoto's appearance created. Unlike Nanao, Rangiku had no problem working the crowd to create the maximum bidding frenzy. Given Gin ended up outbidding them all.

The crowd started breaking up as disappointed men headed to the bar and the men who had bought a date started heading with the women to the door. "Shall we?" Shunsui offered.

"I guess we don't have a choice." Nanao stood up and wobbled lightly on her feet. Maybe he shouldn't have passed her that last drink. "I'm not drunk, it's the stupid heels, don't give me that look."

"I didn't say a word," he defended holding up his hands.

"Let's get this over with."

"Nanao-chan," he said walking next to her as they followed the other couples out the door. "We don't have to do this. We can just go home if you want."

"You bought a date, you get a date," she said stubbornly. "It wouldn't be a fundraiser otherwise."

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine, this is just weird."

"Dating me?"

"Dating in general," she clarified. "I don't date."

"Surely you've gone on a date with at least some of the men you've slept with," he offered.

"No," she said. "It's not like its difficult for a girl to get sex if she wants it. You just walk up to a man and ask him if he wants to. I've never had time for all the small talk before it. What's even the point? If you aren't planning on staying with them I really don't want to know them. Nor do I want to waste my time getting dressed up and doing my hair and makeup. This took Rangiku-san nearly an hour and a half."

"Hold on," he said. "Are you honestly saying you've never been on a date?"

"Not that I'm aware of," she groused, stopping to adjust her shoe. He waited patiently and offered her an arm when she'd righted herself. She glared and he laughed.

"Come on, we're already behind everyone else, who will notice?" Begrudgingly she accepted the help and they started walking again. "You're telling me that even the first time you slept with someone you didn't go on even a teensy tiny date with him first?"

Nanao raised one pissed off and questioning eyebrow at that and he could sense a kido spell start to rise around her free hand. "I'm not judging you," he clarified quickly. "I'm truly curious."

The spell dispersed and he let out a small breath of relief. When Nanao actually wanted to cause him damage she always found a way of doing it despite the differences in their power levels. "Are you honestly asking me how I lost my virginity? Isn't that crossing a line, even for you?"

He shrugged. "Is it really that big of a deal? Jyuushiro and I know the other's stories. In fact I know a lot of my friend's first time stories. I'll swap you yours for mine."

Nanao rolled her eyes at that. "Let me guess, a maid on your family estate."

"Not fair trying to get my story without agreeing to share yours," he said wagging a finger at her and grinning. He could tell she was contemplating it when they were interrupted by their arrival at the restaurant. Nanao quickly and subtly slipped her hand from his elbow as they rejoined the crowd of dates. The next twenty minutes was a bit of chaos as the restaurant sorted them out and got all the dates to the SWA reserved tables.

Once they were settled, made their orders, and the server had brought them each a glass of wine, Shunsui restarted the conversation. "So are you going to tell me or not?"

"You're a pervert," she said looking around to make sure none of the other couples were sufficiently close enough to overhear them. She sighed and gave him a speculative look. "It's not a very interesting story."

"You don't have to tell me. It was just a question. I'm merely surprised that you've never been on a date before."

"You wouldn't even know the guy."

"Wouldn't it be more awkward if I did?"

She gave him a long look and then took a big sip of her wine. "It was while I was in the 5th division," she started with a sigh. "The academy asked me to be a guest lecturer for the upperclassmen on kido use in the field."

"Don't tell me you slept with the old kido professor," Shunsui interrupted making a face. "He was teaching when I was in school."

"It's not as if age really means anything in the Seireitei at a certain point. But no, I didn't sleep with him."

"A student then, naughty Nanao-chan?" he asked grinning.

She glared at him over her wine glass. "If you're going to keep interrupting I'm going to stop telling it."

"Sorry," he said putting his hands up. "Continue."

"Anyway it's not like I was much older than the upperclassmen," she defended glaring. "One of them stayed after to talk to me about a spell I'd been discussing, it was the end of the day so we went back to his dorm to talk, one thing led to another and we slept together. Like I said not much of a story."

"You may be the only person who can say we discussed a kido spell and then one thing led to another and have me actually believe you," he said with a short laugh. "Also not much of a story? Sweet Nanao-chan as a teacher seducing her poor innocent students is an excellent story."

"I was not his teacher, I had nothing to do with his grade, and I didn't seduce anyone."

Shunsui chuckled. "Seduced him with your sexy talk about kido incantations."

"You're an idiot," she said throwing her napkin at him. He caught it and grinned. "I knew I shouldn't tell you." The waiter bringing their food interrupted them and Shunsui let their conversation die until he was gone again.

"He didn't even offer to take you out or see you again after that?" he asked finally.

"He was busy finishing the term," she said with a shrug, "And when he did run into each other once after that there wasn't much to talk about besides kido. We had nothing in common. He signed on with the Kido Corps shortly after that and I never saw him again."

"That didn't bother you? That he didn't at least try?"

"Why would it?" she asked. "I grew up around enough men to know they generally aren't after a relationship, and it wasn't like it was life changing sex. I didn't even know him. Can't say I even remember his name."

"That's a bit sad to me, Nanao-chan."

"That's because you are a hopeless idiotic romantic. I bet your first time had candles and rose petals laid out in the shape of a heart on your bed."

"You know so little about me," he said with a huff. "There were no rose petals."

"But there were candles, weren't there?" she crowed triumphantly. "Was it a maid?"

"There might have been one candle," he said smiling at her obvious delight. "Her name was Shika-chan and she was the daughter of a healer from the 4th division. I didn't spend enough of my childhood at my family estates to ever get too involved with the maids. Really the relationship I have with my family happened after I was already out of the academy and well on my way in the Gotei 13. Before that they really didn't know what to do with me besides ship me off to military school. I was a troublemaker and had more reiatsu than they could handle. Yama-jii was more my family when I was young than they ever were."

"Please tell me that at some point in time the Soutaicho had to have the birds and bees talk with you," Nanao said gleefully.

"Yes, and it was cringe worthy," Kyouraku answered with a shudder. It was worth admitting though, to hear her laugh so freely.

"I'll let you off the hook for you first time story if you give me that one instead."

"It's not much of a story, it contained a long drawn out metaphor about zanpaktou care and by the time I figured out what he was actually talking about it was too late to do anything but stare at him in horror."

"How would that metaphor even work?"

He sighed. It really was a horrific memory. "There was a lot of sword and sheath talk and oiling your weapon for proper care."

"No, stop!" she said fighting to push words through her laughter. Some of the other tables had turned to stare at them and the unusual scene Nanao was making. He gave them a friendly wave and grinned over at the woman across from him who was currently trying to get herself under control.

"He ended the whole talk with, 'be careful where you stick your zanpaktou' and then proceeded to avoid me for a week," Shunsui finished sending Nanao into another fit of laughter.

"Wait, how did he explain babies?"

"A fight with a hollow where when you cut it in half it made a duplicate of itself."

"How did he even? Wouldn't it have just been easier to be upfront with you?" she said wiping tears from her eyes.

"You would think so, especially since I grew up in the barracks too," he said grinning. "I had already put most of it together without the terrible metaphor. If anything it just confused me more."

"So then you stuck you zanpaktou in Shika-chan by candlelight," Nanao said obviously restraining more laughter. "Did the Soutaicho have a fit?"

"No, but her mother did when she found out," Shunsui said with a shrug. His first love had been a brief and intense thing like many were. "We'd been dating for a few months and only sleeping together for a few weeks before her mother found out and shipped her off to live with family in the Rukongai. Shika-chan didn't have any reiatsu so it was probably better for her to live out there anyway."

"Did you ever see her again?"

"I did, quite by accident. I was out in the Rukongai's first district trying to eat my way through a hangover when I ran into her at a restaurant. It was odd since I still had the appearance of a teenager at the time and with no reiatsu she'd aged so much faster. She looked about late 30's and had four children with her of various ages. She'd gotten married to some well-to-do merchant in the 1st."

"And you love them all?" Nanao asked looking at him with her head cocked to the side. "I don't know how you have enough energy or time to love every person you sleep with."

"I never said I loved them all Nanao-chan, but I'm shocked you haven't even loved a few."

"I think you may overestimate the number of men I've slept with," she said with a shrug. "I don't really need them all that often. I'm not going to die from long lengths of abstinence like you would."

"I think my Nanao-chan is calling me a whore."

"If the shoe fits," she said with another shrug.

"No wonder my Nanao-chan doesn't date if she ends up insulting them."

"So false praise is another vital aspect to dating? Yet another reason I don't waste time on it."

"Being complimentary does not have to be false praise, it's just picking up the good stuff and leaving out the bad. For example my Nanao-chan is lovely and intelligent, and if we were on a date, which we are, I would leave out the bit about her being quite cruel."

A slow grin spread across her face and if it had been any other woman, Shunsui would have sworn she was flirting with him. "I take cruel as a compliment from you. It means I haven't taken leave of my senses yet."

"Is that something you have to be careful with around me?" he asked raising an eyebrow and leaning into the conversation a bit more.

"Just look at poor Ukitake Taicho. Completely rational and sweet until you come into the picture."

"I think you overestimate how kind my best friend is."

"Perhaps I'll have to try harder to get to know him better then," she said taking a sip of her wine, their dinner long since having been eaten.

"And now she tries to make me jealous? Cruel, Nanao-chan."

"Would it?"

"Would it what?"

"Would it make you jealous if I slept with Ukitake Taicho?"

The question was asked so simply and with none of the flirting tone of before that it was like a bucket of cold water being thrown over him. Would it bother him? He'd never really thought about it before. The obvious answer was of course not. They were not in that kind of relationship and he should be happy if two of his closest friends were together. Somehow that did not stop the twisting feeling in his gut. "Do you want to?"

"I asked you first."

"Nanao-chan is free to have relations with whomever pleases her," he said frowning and leaning back in his chair. "But Jyuu doesn't sleep around much. He's a monogamous relationship kind of man when he does see anyone."

"You do seem to think I'd gain something from dating."

"I didn't mean," he started and then stopped. What was he supposed to say? That he'd thought she'd gain something from dating him? Was that what he'd been trying to imply? Whatever it was it certainly wasn't that she should be dating someone else. The thought of a boyfriend dropping by the office to take her out to lunch or to pick her up was more aggravating than it should have been. "Since when have you liked Jyuu?"

"I've always liked Ukitake Taicho."

"You know what I mean. Since when have you wanted to sleep with him?"

"I never said I did," she replied grinning and the mischief that sparkled in her eyes had him smiling back despite his misgivings. "I simply asked if you'd be jealous if I did."

"Obviously, Nanao-chan," he said keeping his tone as teasing as hers was. "What man wouldn't be? You should have heard the things I heard them say about you when you stepped on stage tonight."

"And you didn't defend my honor?" she asked with a smirk.

"Omaeda seemed like too easy of a target."

Nanao made a face at that. No one wanted that man thinking sexual things about them.

"And Hisagi seemed too genuine to hurt, poor kid."

Nanao brightened at that comment. "Hisagi-san isn't bad looking, but I thought he only had eyes for Rangiku-san."

"I thought my Nanao-chan was upset men were bidding on her?"

"It's degrading, but what woman wants to be so unattractive that no one notices even when she's forced into this get-up?" she asked gesturing down at herself.

"You are being oddly honest tonight. How much have you had to drink?"

"I'm not drunk," she said with a glare and then sighed. "I might be a little drunk."

Apparently too much alcohol made her honest. She'd never had more than a glass or two with him in the past and had always kept her wits about her. That was a good thing to know for any future interrogation he might need to have, particularly on how attractive she may or may not think he was. "You didn't have that much, a few sakes at the bar and you're what on your second glass of wine?"

"Yeah, that and whatever was in that flask Matsumoto-san had."

"Well mixing alcohol probably wasn't your best idea ever," he said with a grin. "Come on, Nanao-chan. Time to take you home."

"Just because I'm a tiny bit drunk doesn't mean I need an escort home," she said getting to her feet and bracing herself on the side of the table when the room spun a bit.

"We're on a date," he reminded her. "A good date walks the woman home."

She rolled her eyes at that and still refused to take his arm when there were other shinigami still in the restaurant. He shrugged and started leading the way back out. Rangiku caught his sleeve as they passed by her and Gin's table.

"Leaving already?" she asked.

"Nanao-chan can't wait to get me home and alone," he answered with a grin and a wiggle of his eyebrows. Nanao quickly smacked him over the back of his head and it only made him smile harder.

"We are never doing this fundraiser again," Nanao said tugging at his elbow to get him moving. Rangiku just laughed as they moved away and Shunsui trapped Nanao's hand under his own so that she had an excuse not to let go of him. It was a lucky thing too or she'd have stumbled and fallen down the steps from the restaurant.

"Stupid shoes," she woman grumbled. He was wise enough not to mention how much he liked the heels on her or the fact that is was probably the drinks more than the shoes making her trip.

"I could always shunpo us home."

"Only if you want to."

"Nope, not letting you off that easy. Say, 'Shunsui-chan, please take me home safely in your nice strong arms' and then I'll do it."

She glared at him. "I'd rather sleep with Omaeda."

"Ok, ok, how about just 'Shunsui-chan, I'd be so grateful if you'd take me home and tuck me in' that way you don't even have to compliment me."

"I bet Ukitake Taicho would never put his date through this."

"Just for that," he said with a grin and scooped her up tossing her over his shoulder like a bag of rice and stepping into his shunpo. She let out a decidedly un-ladylike huff and tried to use her knees to cause some damage to his chest. They were almost at her door when she decided the knees weren't working and slipped a hand into the back of his pants, grabbed his fundoshi, and pulled up. He yelped in surprise and nearly dropped her on her doorstep. As it was he'd loosened his hold on her enough and she slipped free from his shoulder and stumbled back, catching herself on her door handle. "That was naughty, Nanao-chan," he chastised reaching down to fix his underwear.

"One should not sling an unwilling woman over their shoulder like a barbarian," she scolded with her nose in the air having completely righted herself. She was going to hate herself in the morning when she realized she'd drunkenly given her superior officer a wedgie and that thought had him giddy with the length of time he was going to be able to tease her for this one.

"Perhaps that woman shouldn't be intentionally antagonizing her Taicho," he said with a laugh.

"Is it antagonizing you to imply that I would be willing to sleep with your best friend?"

He leaned over her with a smile, resting a hand next to her head on the door. "Now you're just being greedy. I already admitted I'd be jealous. No more compliments for the night."

"I thought you said compliments are a part of dating?"

"You're supposed to give, not just receive."

"Fine, I'd be jealous if you slept with Ukitake Taicho too," she said with a grin.

"Impossible woman," he said shaking his head.

"So how do these date things usually end?"

"If it was good, with a kiss," he teased presenting his cheek to her.

"And if it was bad?"

"I wouldn't know," he answered cockily. "Other men tell me with an insult and a slammed door in the face though."

"Idiot," she said pushing him back and unlocking her door.

"Are you going to ruin my perfect dating streak?" he whined. She slipped inside her door and turned back to him. "At least don't slam it, and then it will be only a partially bad date."

Nanao surprised him by grabbing him by the collar of his haori and dragging his head down to her level pressing a chaste but warm kiss to his lips lightning fast. Then she used his surprise, and her leverage on his haori, to push him back and shut her door firmly, but without slamming it.

Shunsui stood there shocked for a moment before grinning. "I'll take mediocre!" he yelled through the door before shunpoing away. Nanao was a delightfully frustrating woman, and after twenty-nine years of near constant companionship he loved that she still surprised him often. The only other person who'd so consistently kept him happy, laughing, and supported even through dark times was Jyuushiro and it was rare to find two friends that excellent even in a life as long as his. Given he didn't think he would enjoy Jyuushiro kissing him quite so much as he had enjoyed Nanao's quick affection. Not that a drunken teasing kiss meant anything at all, but he was man enough to admit it'd made his heart skip a beat; more out of shock than actual attraction he assured himself. He'd have to get Nanao-chan out drinking more often in the future if she ever forgave the merciless teasing he intended to begin tomorrow when he brought her breakfast for her hangover.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I love when they're both idiots. They're so much fun to write. Sorry for the delay, work has been hectic, but at least it's a long one. As always let me know what you think! Thank you The Madhatter2, siriki, glaznoe, 0Sam0, Soul Neko-Natsu, Megiddo, and liferscove2118 for the reviews!**


	7. Seven Years Later

"I can't believe you volunteered us for this," Jyuushiro said as they shunpoed through Hueco Mundo.

"It's the annual division review," Shunsui explained with a shrug. "I'd rather be hunting down an adjucha in Hueco Mundo than trying to avoid Nanao-chan and her armload of paperwork and repair needs. If we play this right we can be gone for the whole week."

Jyuushiro rolled his eyes and paused on the top of a sand dune to scan the area. "You could have at least only volunteered yourself. I actually help my division with the review."

"But then I'd have been bored, and besides this thing has already made three scouting parties of various abilities disappear in this area. How could I be sure I could handle the big mean monster all on my own?"

Jyuushiro arched a doubting eyebrow at him and sighed. "You could have just brought Ise-san and only screwed your own division."

"And bring sweet Nanao-chan to this awful place?"

"So instead I get the honor? I've got to work out how to get Ise-san's friendship level with you for myself."

"You'd have to become female, I'm afraid," Shunsui said with a mock sad tone. "Although I hear the 12th can do wonders nowadays. Then I'd have my cute Nanao-chan and Ukitake-chan and wouldn't know what to do with myself."

"You're a pervert and an imbecile," Jyuushiro said exasperated. "I was wrong. Yamamoto-sensei should have sent Ise-san and me instead and left you with the division review. Kami knows she has enough experience tracking things down after serving under you for almost forty years now."

"Come on, Jyuu-chan," Shunsui wheedled. "It won't be that bad. It'll be like our old academy patrols, camping and staying up late, I've even got some sake in my pack."

"Of course you do. At least you had the sense not to wear your usual pink and attract every hollow's eye in the near vicinity."

"I would have," Shunsui replied looking aggrieved. "But Nanao-chan said it needed to be laundered and it wouldn't be back in time for when we had to leave. I think she did it out of spite."

"I never thought I'd see the day where the great womanizing Kyouraku Shunsui would be that whipped by a woman." Jyuushiro grinned at him and started another shunpo to the north. "Even Yadomaru-san couldn't get that thing off of you."

"I am not whipped." He shot his friend a glare that Jyuushiro entirely ignored.

"You are too," Jyuushiro teased. "You spent all of last weekend sober and helping her assemble furniture at her new house. Then this week you left the party at the 10th early so you could get up before work to train with her since she had an SWA meeting in the evening the next day. If that's not whipped I don't know what is."

"I was being helpful. I'm always helpful when there is a damsel in distress."

"Just admit you're stupid in love with your Fukutaicho. Everyone already knows it anyway."

"We're just friends."

"You haven't been just friends for almost a decade now," Jyuushiro said firmly. "You're more married than Kaien-san is and he's actually married."

"We aren't sleeping together," Shunsui defended.

"I never said you were, which is why its even more shocking how whipped you are. When's the last time you brought a random woman home anyway? Not that I miss hearing those particular stories."

"Recently," Shunsui said quickly and then thought about it. "Less than a year ago, at least." He went over the past year's parties and nights out drinking. Then he thought of the year before that. "Holy shit, I'm celibate."

Jyuushiro burst into laughter and clapped his friend on the back mid-step. "Like I said, you're stupid in love with Ise-san."

"No, seriously, Jyuu. This isn't funny."

"Sure it is. You fell in love with the only woman in the world who'd rather beat you upside the head than sleep with you. It's plenty funny. I'm sure you have quite a few exes that would love to see this and laugh. Your mom will be delighted to finally have Ise-san as part of the family too."

"Nobody said anything about marriage," Shunsui said sharply. So he might have some feelings for his Fukutaicho that weren't exactly platonic, but he certainly wasn't thinking about settling down and starting a family. Hell, he was just trying to get his head around the fact that he'd gone this long without sex without noticing. Given he'd had plenty of fantasies involving Nanao-chan to occupy his time over the last couple years, but that was just being male. She was the closest female to him and attractive as hell, of course he fantasized. It didn't mean he was in love with the woman. And so what if they spent nearly all their time together? Obviously during the week they had to and on the weekend they often had the same friends and plans tended to overlap. It wasn't something they consciously did. If she occasionally asked him to help her around the house or with heavy lifting who was he to say no to a friend? And if she tended to be the one he invited out to events it was only because he knew they had similar interest and she'd enjoy them. Who wanted to go to a play or new restaurant with an idiotic girl who would chatter meaninglessly through it or not enjoy it? And as for family events, they expected to see her. He wasn't going to disappoint his mom and his nieces and nephews by not inviting her. That didn't mean they were in love.

"We've always been just friends," he reaffirmed.

"Then you truly are an idiot," Jyuushiro said with a shake of his head. "It's not often you find a woman that intelligent and pretty who also succeeds in making you a better person. Do what you want, but eventually someone is going to decide you've taken too long and make a move on her, and you don't want that to be the moment you realize you're head over heels in love with her. Come on, let's see if those caves are clear and make camp for the night." With that Jyuushiro let the topic drop and the two of them cleared out the two minor hollows from the cave and set up camp, cooking dinner over a small kido fire. Conversation ranged from old times in their friendship to the latest books brought back from the living world, and Shunsui studiously avoiding the subject of his enticing little Fukutaicho.

* * *

><p>The next day they got a late start as Jyuushiro had learned long ago it wasn't worth waking him up, and it wasn't as if either of them had anywhere to be. Jyuushiro might gripe, but he didn't love the annual review either. Better to be hunting hollows than dealing with red tape and division repairs.<p>

"Do you want to cover the north quadrant and I'll take the south?" Shunsui asked reviewing the sketchy map the 12th had provided them of the area. Something big was hunting in it, and the Soutaicho had finally decided to send some Taichos to end the problem before it got itself into the living world and they had to deal with it there.

"Are you sure it's smart to split up?"

"How powerful could it possibly by, Jyuu? We'll be fine. Just locate it and we can re-group here and then take it out tomorrow together." Shunsui punched him good-naturedly on the shoulder and headed out to the south. Hopefully it'd take them a day or two to locate the hollow and then maybe a day to kill it and another to regroup. Nanao would want to murder him by the time he got back, but she'd probably be too exhausted from the review to actually follow through.

Four hours later Shunsui was debating whether or not it would be ok if he headed back to the caves for a nap. Jyuushiro probably wouldn't judge him for it, but perhaps he should find his friend and they could both take mid-afternoon naps. There would be no Nanao-chan to get him in trouble for it after all. He was covering his area in a grid, but so far he'd not even picked up a peep of power and he was seriously thinking about turning around and giving up for the morning when he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. Shunsui sighed and changed directions. He'd really been looking forward to that nap.

Gaining on the movement Shunsui ground to a halt as he made out the figure and a familiar reiatsu signature moving in front of him in a hurry in the opposite direction. How in the world had Nanao convinced Yama-jii to let her into Hueco Mundo? Beyond that why had Yama-jii let her come alone?

Shunsui shunpoed after her as she pelted across the sand. "Nanao-chan!" he called out trying to gain her attention before overtaking her so as not to scare her, but the woman kept moving like she hadn't heard him. He watched her slip around the corner into a cave mouth and frowned. Had Yama-jii sent her to spy on them for some reason and she was trying not to be seen? He couldn't imagine Nanao would have followed that order even if it had been given. He could, however, imagine her demanding to be sent so he didn't slack off and came back quickly to help her with the paperwork. He supposed it was too much to hope that he'd get out of the division review entirely. At least she wasn't trying to beat him incoherent with her book.

"Nanao-chan?" he called cautiously into the cave as he reached the entrance. Across the cave in the gloom he saw her slip around the corner into a deeper cavern. He followed her more slowly this time as she'd stopped shunpoing at least. "Nanao-chan, I've already seen you if you weren't supposed to be seen. Why not come out and talk to me? Or are you trying to get me alone and have your wicked way with me?"

"Taicho?" her voice called back.

"Yes," he said rounding the corner. There was another corner up ahead and he couldn't see her anywhere. "Nanao-chan, where are you? And besides that what in the world are you doing here?"

"Taicho, over here," she said sharply. "I think I found something."

"Why are you here?" he asked moving towards the sound of her voice. Of course she'd be the first to find something and rush head long into danger. "Did Yama-jii send you to make sure Jyuu and I aren't slacking off?"

"You didn't think you were going to get out of the division review entirely, did you?"

Shunsui sighed. There would be no afternoon nap today or anytime soon for that matter. He rounded yet another corner and finally found Nanao a few meters out from him staring over a sheer drop into the darkness below. "What'd you find, lovely Nanao-chan? You probably should have found Jyuu and I first before you started hunting hollows down." Not that she couldn't handle herself, he thought, but if she'd found the adjucha in question without them he'd have been concerned. As it was he didn't feel any real power around the area other than her.

"I can take care of myself," she said shooting a glare at him over her shoulder.

"Yare, yare, Nanao-chan," he said holding up his hands in surrender. "Show me what you found." He moved up to her side, bent over the edge of the drop, and squinted into the darkness.

"I found you," she said lightly, suddenly right by his side and with her face near his.

"Nanao?" he asked confused as he went to stand up straight again. She put both of her small hands on the side of his face and for a moment he thought she was going to kiss him.

"And aren't you a wonderful find indeed?" she asked with a slow grin. Then she kicked off the side and sent both of them tumbling over the edge of the cliff.

Shunsui reacted instinctively and pulled her to his chest cradling the back of her head to protect it from any kind of impact. Thinking fast and trying to right them both he was about to leap into a shunpo when he felt something wrap around his ankle and tug. As soon as he registered that, a hundred more tendrils reached up to wrap around his arms, legs, throat, anywhere they could grasp. Shunsui struggled to get to his sword, but Nanao's limp body made it impossible as more wickedly fast vines grabbed on to every inch they could, stopping their fall and effectively tangling them both and quickly cocooning them.

Shunsui felt the vines start to pull Nanao out of his hold and he fought desperately to keep her with him. Whatever this thing was had obviously gotten to her first and done something to her. He'd kill it slowly. She slipped from his grasp as more vines rose to restrict him further back. He started a strong kido and felt surprise run through him when his reiatsu didn't instantly answer. He'd been so distracted by getting to Nanao he hadn't realized right away that the vines were leeching his reiatsu and quickly. Struggling seemed to make the vines pull tighter and he relaxed into them slightly trying to think. By this point he was completely covered in the things and Nanao was nowhere to be seen. If he couldn't fight his way out and his reiatsu was draining his only hope was his swords. Slowly and carefully he started to work his arms down to his sides hoping the vines would only react to overt quick movements like quicksand.

He was damn near his blades when the vines tightened on his wrists and whipped them back. Shunsui cursed and the vines shifted away from his face unblocking his view, but staying perfectly planted around his throat. He looked up to see Nanao standing opposite him, free of the vines, and staring at him placidly.

"Nanao-chan" he rasped around the pressure at his throat. "Come on, sweetheart, whatever it did to you, you have to fight it."

Nanao walked to him and a slow smile spread across her face as she reached up to touch his cheek. "You're so convinced she'd never hurt you," Nanao said softly. "Usually they start to doubt their friends about now or at least start to worry more about themselves. But you only want to get to her don't you?"

Shunsui frowned. Whatever the thing had done to her, it better be reversible.

"It's sweet really," she said giving him a soft lazy grin as she pressed up against the front of the vines covering him. "You'd follow her into hell and back. Although there's something dark twisting in you isn't there? Maybe you'd just drag her down to hell with you. Create something dark and twisty in her too."

"Nanao-chan," he said calmly. "You've got to try and remember who you are."

"Still think it's her?" she asked running a finger down his cheek. He didn't take the bait, he'd know that reiatsu anywhere. "Ah, the reiatsu. You really shouldn't project your thoughts quite so loudly if you can help it. No, darling, I can mimic that too. Whatever you expect to see and feel I can be."

He glared at the creature in front of him and she laughed lightly taking a step back. Nanao's form shimmered and twisted until a female adjucha was standing before him with dark gauzy wings wrapping around her body. Her eyes watched him steadily and she cocked her head to the side. "You're relieved," she said surprised. "You're going to die and you're just relieved she's not here and not in danger. How odd."

"It's a lot to assume I'm going to die here," Shunsui said casually, though it was creepy how much the creature could read out from his mind. He'd have to work on blanking his mind to get out of this one. It was true. The second the creature changed he'd been relieved to know Nanao was still safe and sound in the Seireitei probably stamping forms and cursing his name.

The hollow smiled and stepped towards him stroking a vine. "It's no assumption. My friend has you all bound up. You see he's very strong but not very mobile."

"So you're the bait in the trap, becoming something you know the target will follow," he filled in easily. "Then you get part of the snack."

"Very good," the adjucha trilled. "Although sometimes my bait isn't so perfect. You had such a strong mental image of her and what she is floating right at the top of your mind that it was easy this time. It's not always like that." The creature shimmered and twisted again and he had Nanao's indigo eyes blinking up at him from behind a pair of glasses.

"You shouldn't waste your power on me," he said lightly. "You've already got me here."

"I just want you to be comfortable during your stay," she said softly in Nanao's voice. It was the voice she used when he was injured in battle and in the 4th or had a particularly nasty case of the flu. It was a voice he was sure very few people got to hear out of Nanao-chan, and it made him sick to hear it coming out of this creature's mouth now. Her hand reached up to his cheek and he turned his face away from it as much as the vines would allow. "You're so strong. I'm sure we'll get to play for several days."

The vine at his throat released when she stroked it and he felt her hot breath at the crook of his neck. "It doesn't have to be completely unpleasant if you don't want it to be." And that was a tone he certainly had never heard from Nanao, but had imagined often enough.

"I'm afraid I'd need more mobility to have that kind of fun," he teased playing along. If he could get the creature to let him go he could probably snap her delicate little neck, although it would disturb him to do so when she looked like Nanao.

She backed off and grinned up at him. "Maybe when you're very much weaker." She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his throat. He tried not to tighten his jaw in disgust at the sensation since right now this seemed like his best option for escape. The hollow licked over his clavicle and for once he wished he'd listened to Nanao-chan and worn his uniform properly closed. Then the creature bit him hard enough to draw blood and he hissed. Another swipe of her tongue and she backed off once more smiling at him with Nanao's smile and his blood on her lips.

"Rest now," she said lightly. "I'll be back later to play." The creature left the cavern with a sway to her hips that was decidedly not Nanao and the vine quickly latched around his throat again. Only patience would win this one. Jyuushiro knew vaguely where he was, he'd find him soon enough and they'd kill both of the hollows. Barring that he'd just have to hold on to enough strength that when she eventually got too confident and gave him some leeway he'd be able to take her down.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope everyone who celebrates had a very happy thanksgiving! Glad everyone enjoyed the fluff of the last chapter. Sorry for the cliffy on this one. As always thank you to everyone who reviewed, audriefrias, Arihimew, Megiddo, 0Sam0, one-bakaneko-piece, pinkypunkful, liferscove2118, and the two guests!**


	8. Three Days Later

Shunsui had lost track of the time he'd been down in this cavern having his reiatsu leeched away. A bioluminescent moss-like organism was the only thing that gave any real sense of light and it was unchanging. He slept intermittently and hoped Jyuushiro would find him soon, but other than the female adjucha's visits not much changed in his world.

She came often enough though, delighted with her new plaything. She always came as Nanao too, as she clearly sensed how much it upset him. Her pleasure ranged from taunting him by pretending to be Nanao come to save him, although that'd only truly worked once, to picking up on his darker thoughts that raised to the surface when she was near and wondering aloud what his cute Nanao-chan would think if she knew, to trying to get some kind of reaction out of him in an odd game of seduction and hunting. He had enough bite marks to prove that. He had to admit he'd never really wondered what it would be like to have a hollow leisurely consume him, and now that he'd found out he wasn't a big fan. When he was free he'd let Katen Kyoukotsu play her games however she liked. He could feel his zanpaktou desire to defend him and end this creature even though he couldn't get to his blades.

"Dark and nasty today," the adjucha said grinning at him from where she'd been napping on the floor of the cavern. "Should I give you something nice to look at and turn that mood around?" She sat up and began toying with the belt of her shinigami uniform. "I'll look exactly as you expect to see her," the creature said with a slow smile. "Just like all your fantasies about her. If you're very good I might even let you touch." She stood up and started tugging at the belt. Shunsui closed his eyes. A moment later she was laughing and pressing to his front through the vines though he still refused to look. When he was free he'd let Katen Kyoukotsu tear off her wings just to watch her twitch like a child does to a bug.

"I love when you think things like that," the creature cooed and shivered against him. "And shinigamis say we're the monsters. Although, come to think of it, that thought was not very nice about me personally." She stroked the vines around his right hand and he flexed it when it was suddenly free. He opened his eyes in surprise as she'd only ever freed his neck and shoulders before that. Luckily she was still fully clothed. "Somewhere new today, then."

Her mouth went to the juncture between his thumb and index finger and sucked hard. He took the advantage and wrapped his fingers around her jaw trying to force her head back and dig his fingers up through the soft part of her jaw. She bit down hard and the pain shot up his arm as she tore away from him taking a chunk of flesh with her. She swallowed it and licked her lips as the vines twisted up again over his bleeding hand.

"It's always better with a little pain. Next time it might be somewhere more, sensitive," she said with a ferocious little smile. "A fantasy and a nightmare all in one, hmm? I certainly will miss you when you're all used up. Maybe we'll start taking you out of there for small little bits of time soon, make sure you last longer. It'd be a waste to kill you too quickly. You're the most fun I've had in years." Then she casually trailed out of the cave again and left him in the silence as the vines continued to trickle away his life force.

He didn't know how much time had passed when she returned, but as always it wasn't enough time. "Taicho?" she said softly lifting his head gently in her hands. "I'm going to get you out of there, ok? Try not to move."

So it was this again. He didn't know why she kept trying. He'd been fooled for a moment the first time she'd come to him and tried to 'save him,' but after that he'd failed to react the way she wanted. He found this game crueler than her trying to seduce him with Nanao's body and voice, because at least the seduction was out of character for his Fukutaicho. It was easy to tell himself that at least that wasn't real.

"Make sure to get my hands free first," he said sarcastically. He was tired and not in the mood for games. At least not a game that didn't play to his advantage.

The creature touched the vine around his neck and gave him a worried look. She stepped back as the vine reacted to her touch and reached for her. "Ukitake-Taicho is just behind me," she said quickly moving over to his right side. "Tell me if I'm too close to your hand. It's hard to tell through these vines and I have a feeling I'm going to have to move quickly once I start."

He snorted and kept his head down. The creature started slashing at the vines and he lifted an eyebrow in surprise. She was really going out of her way to mess with him this time. If that's what it took he was more than happy to play along though. Perhaps she'd get messy and give him more leeway. She obviously didn't think he was much of a threat at this point. "Quickly, Nanao-chan, it's dangerous here," he said, trying to lace it with sincerity. Hopefully the creature wouldn't just pick up on his real plan through his thoughts as he'd been hiding them better recently, but she probably would and he didn't have much hope of actually escaping. Then suddenly his hand was free. The vines were clearly upset as they slid over him and some retreated from the creature's hacking sword as she worked to free him up to the shoulder.

Shunsui didn't wait. He might not get another opportunity after all and the thing had weakened him significantly. He slammed his hand forward with a burst of shunpo behind it and had the creature by the throat. She gave him a surprised look and an odd choking sound escaped her as the sword slipped from her fingers. The creature's hands came up to grab at his and he bore down harder. He didn't like choking women, but he'd had to do it once in the past with another hollow and he'd finished the job then too. The creature looked at him pleadingly and her mouth moved as she attempted to form words, and he tried to squeeze harder. He didn't want to see that look on Nanao's face any longer than he had to.

"What the fuck?" His eyes snapped up to meet Jyuushiro's own horrified ones.

"Jyuu it's not Nanao," he shouted, knowing instantly what his best friend would think upon seeing the creature. A stinging kido slammed his arm back into the wall and the adjucha crumpled to the ground coughing and gasping. "It's a trap. It's not Nanao. You have to kill her," he ordered frantically. The last thing he needed was his friend trapped in here with him by the same ploy. Using his free hand while the hollow was still incapacitated he reached down and ripped a sword free of the remaining vines making quick work of them and launching himself free before Jyuushiro could reach the creature. He brought his sword down with the intent to decapitate her and was met by Jyuushiro's steel.

"It's not Nanao," he raged. The adjucha struggled to kick herself out of the way of their fight as she still gagged and tried to regain her breathing.

A kido blast from Jyuushiro had him staggering back against the wall. He might be a match for his friend on a normal day, but he barely had half his regular power right now. There was no way he could beat him head on. Instead he launched for the hollow as she reached for her fallen sword and swore as he felt the end of a pommel crack along the back of his head. As everything went dark he hoped Jyuushiro realized the truth and killed her before it was too late.

* * *

><p>Shunsui woke with a start and fought against the restrictions binding him back. A hand on his chest gently but forcefully pushed him back and the feel of Jyuushiro's reiatsu had him pause to take in the situation. To be fair, the creature could imitate reiatsus too, but so far she'd shown no aptitude for manipulating the environment. As it looked to him like he was in a room in the 4th with the sheets tangled around him and Jyuushiro looking at him worriedly, he had to assume he'd been rescued.<p>

"You figured out it wasn't her," he rasped with a dry throat. How long had he been out? Jyuushiro diverted his eyes from him and busied himself handing Shunsui a glass of water. "Is it dead?"

"Yes, Shunsui, the adjuchas are dead. It took us a while to find the source of the vine adjucha, but Ise-san had a particularly nasty kido that it won't be recovering from. You really shouldn't be letting her play around with spells like that. It borders on illegal."

"How did Nanao-chan deal with the adjucha?" Shunsui asked puzzled and then looked up at Jyuushiro with dawning horror. "She was there?"

"Yes," Jyuushiro answered quietly and that tiny word might as well have confirmed all his worst suspicions and damned him all at once.

"It was Nanao?" he asked alarmed.

"I'd sent her ahead to get to you while I dealt with the first adjucha," Jyuushiro said regretfully. "It never occurred to us that the hollow might have taken on a different form with you. To us it looked like you."

"It was Nanao that cut me free," Shunsui said and if his voice cracked a little on her name Jyuushiro was kind enough not to comment. "Is she alive?"

"Oh yes, of course. She's fine. She'd have been here when you woke up," Jyuushiro comforted. "She wanted to be, but Retsu-san didn't think it was wise given the circumstances. We didn't know if you'd want to see her."

"I almost killed her."

"You didn't know it was her," Jyuushiro said with a shrug. Shunsui knew he didn't mean it to be flippant, but he wanted to punch something and throw up all at once. He'd almost strangled and then decapitated his Nanao-chan.

"How will she ever forgive me?"

"As far as I can tell she isn't mad at you. She was furious at the adjuchas, but not at you. She knows you would never hurt her."

"Obviously that's not true," he replied darkly. "When can I leave the 4th?"

Jyuushiro eyed him nervously but sighed. "Retsu-san wanted to run some tests when you woke up, but after that you're free to go on bed rest at home. Most of your wounds have been healed and now it's just a matter of letting your reiatsu restore itself after that mauling."

"And Nanao-chan? Is she in the 4th?"

"She was here when we came in this morning, but they let her go to rest at home," Jyuushiro answered watching him closely. "She really is ok, Shun, just a bit shaken is all."

"And strangled and nearly dead," he added harshly. "Can you get Retsu-san? I want to get out of here."

* * *

><p>She was having trouble sleeping. Ukitake Taicho had come by earlier to assure her Shunsui was ok and resting in his own home, but that didn't stop her from worrying. She was usually the first or second person to see him when he was in the 4th for any reason. Being unable to check on him herself had her ill at ease. Being told he was fine was one thing, but confirming it with her own eyes was essential. She understood well enough why she couldn't, but it still irked her.<p>

If she could go back in time she'd have had Ukitake-Taicho keep the adjucha alive so she could kill her slowly. How dare that thing use her as bait, how dare it use her face to hurt him. If she could go back she'd send a kido rolling through its veins that would have boiled its blood while it was still alive. She'd have made a symphony with its screams.

Nanao shifted in her futon and sighed. She wanted to sleep, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to without checking in on him first. Surely he'd have been convinced of his rescue by now and wouldn't react too adversely to her? Although they didn't know the extent of what the adjucha had done to him while wearing her face. She was about to give up on sleep and make tea when she felt a familiar reiatsu approaching her house. Sitting up in bed she looked to the door that opened up onto her small porch. She'd left it open to the summer breeze and soon enough it was filled with her Taicho's figure.

"It's not safe to sleep with the door open, Nanao-chan," he chastised lightly. The dark kept her from being able to see his expression and she rose to her feet and moved towards him. He took a step back from the entranceway and though she wouldn't say it out loud the action hurt her.

"If you'd have checked," she said lightly pausing inside the doorway, "You'd have found a rather strong kido barrier in place."

His eyes and other senses scanned the doorway and he murmured an agreement. She started towards him again and he held up a hand to stop her. "Don't. Leave it up."

"But," she started only to be interrupted.

"Just leave it up," he said. "It's safer that way."

"Safer for me or for you?"

"I'm so sorry, Nanao-chan," he said and she heard the pain in his voice.

"It wasn't your fault," she said shaking her head.

"Nanao, I nearly killed you."

"You didn't think it was me," she comforted. "I'd have done the same thing in your position."

"That's not true though, is it? You knew the creature wasn't me when it tried to bait you with my face, but I couldn't tell the difference."

"Oh Shunsui, is that what's bothering you?" she asked with a relieved little laugh.

"What's bothering me is I nearly killed you," he said with a frown. "Why were you even there?"

"When Ukitake Taicho couldn't locate you by the second day he called for backup," she explained. "The Soutaicho figured since I was so used to chasing any trace of your reiatsu down the two of us would be the best suited to find you. And the adjucha would have fooled us too. It even did for a bit."

"But you figured out the difference where I could not," he said bitterly.

"Only because of your pink haori," she said trying to placate him. There was no reason for him to be this upset at himself. He looked at her quizzically and she continued. "The adjucha took the form of whatever we wanted and expected to see. It could only work off the image we had of the other person in our mind as far as we've been able to work out. And you aren't you without your pink haori."

"So what?"

"I'd taken it to get cleaned, remember? You didn't have it. Yet there you were pink haori and all," she said softly. "It was enough to make me worried and I said as much to Ukitake Taicho. When we searched harder as we approached we felt two of your reiatsus, which isn't possible. Ukitake Taicho sent me ahead to the other source of your reiatsu while he confronted the adjucha to determine which of you was real. We weren't sure even then, but he said the hollow lost control when I went flying past to get to you and he cut it down quickly enough."

"And then I tried to murder you."

"Stop it," she said harshly. "You'd have never done it if that thing hadn't used my face. You'd never hurt me."

"You can't be so sure of that," he said glancing at her neck. She was glad that it was dark enough that he probably couldn't make out the bruises that the 4th couldn't entirely fade from her throat. "I'm not an innocent man."

"You'd never hurt me," she said soundly. She knew that he was referencing more than just the other day. She'd seen him in a fight. He played dirty if he had to and his zanpaktous were a reflection of him. There was its own sick pleasure in the game. "You'd never hurt me without reason," she revised. He laughed at that, but it didn't hold any humor in it. "Won't you come in? I can make tea or something? I might even have sake."

"No, Nanao-chan, I'm fine here. Would you mind terribly if I slept on the porch?"

"You could come in and have the couch," she offered.

"No, here will do and leave the kido barrier up." He settled down on her porch and she frowned. It couldn't be good for him sleeping outside on the hard surface while recovering, but he'd slept through worse. Sighing she walked over to her own futon and dragged it towards the open doorway. "Nanao-chan?"

"I'll stay on this side if it makes you happy," she said with a shrug, "But I'm not afraid of you."

He frowned, but stayed silent as she settled down. His wellbeing confirmed she quickly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>He woke up with a start from the nightmare. He'd been dreaming that Jyuushiro had been too late, that he'd killed Nanao and was staring at her at his feet waiting for her to turn back into the adjucha she was and not his Nanao-chan, with a creeping horror he'd realized she was never going to turn back into the hollow because it wasn't the hollow at all.<p>

He shifted, intent on getting up and going home, though the nightmares had plagued him there as well when he'd tried to sleep, only to get a muffled protest from his sleepy companion. Glancing down his side he found Nanao warm and real and curled against him. He took a shuddering relieved breath before he realized she must have rolled through her own kido barrier or it had come down and he could have hurt her before he was fully awake.

"Nanao-chan," he said trying to rouse her as he looked around. It turned out he was inside her room and must have moved to her in his sleep. "Nanao-chan your kido barrier must have come down."

She raised a sleepy head and glanced at the door. "Is not down," she muttered curling back down in her blankets and at his side. "Doesn't stop you. Tried to tell you earlier. My kido barriers are never made to stop your reiatsu signature. Still up. Go back to sleep."

He felt his whole chest tighten up as she sighed and drifted off again. What a brilliant, stupid, brave, foolish woman. How could he make her understand that she couldn't trust him completely like that? If he'd lashed out in his sleep how would she have stopped him? Even with his reiatsu levels lowered he could have seriously hurt her. He waited till her breathing was firm and even before extracting himself from her and wandering back out to the porch. The kido barrier tingled over his skin, but did nothing to impede him.

Jyuushiro was right. They were too close. They weren't how a Taicho and a Fukutaicho should be. She was going to get hurt. Whether it was a physical injury or an emotional one that he inflicted was yet to be seen, but he would hurt her. It'd just all happened so slowly and naturally. He hadn't even noticed when they had started to take up all of each others time or when they'd crossed the line from friends to something else. Not that he knew what that something else was. All he knew was that it needed to be taken care of. They needed space.

Glancing back in Nanao's room he noted the time from her alarm clock and realized there was still a rowdy bar or two that he knew that would be open at this hour. If ever he needed a drink, now was the time. Taking one last look at Nanao's sleeping form safely tucked away behind her kido barrier he shunpoed away.

* * *

><p>"Where is he?" the Soutaicho asked gruffly.<p>

"I assume he's at home resting, sir," Nanao said. "He was only released from the 4th yesterday afternoon."

"It's the 8th Division's annual review. Taichos who are not on a mission or in the 4th are required to be present for their division's review."

"Yes, sir," Nanao said holding back the sigh. They went through this every year and she hated dragging him in. She didn't know why the Soutaicho wouldn't just let it go and have her guide him through the evaluation points. The only thing her Taicho ever added to it was lewd jokes. You'd think this year the Soutaicho would be willing to excuse him since he finally had a legitimate excuse. "If you'll wait just a moment, I'll get him." She scanned for his reiatsu and found him in his home.

Stepping into a shunpo she finally allowed herself to sigh out loud. She'd woken up alone and her immediate inclination was to seek him out, but she'd found his reiatsu at his house and decided to let him sleep. He was clearly still beating himself up over what had happened in Hueco Mundo, but she'd eventually be able to jostle him out of it. Perhaps she'd let him sleep in the office the next few weeks instead of banishing him to the roof. She'd also forgive him for leaving her to prepare for the division review all alone since she had been planning to rip him a new one for that. If he really sulked, she could always offer to grab after work drinks with him one evening as that never failed to make him happy.

Nanao stopped at his door and knocked. No one answered and she slipped the door open stepping inside and removing her shoes. One day he would have to start locking his doors. She felt bad waking him when he actually needed the sleep, but there was nothing for it. Perhaps they could stop for a coffee or tea before they headed back. It'd serve the Soutaicho right having to wait when he was being so uncompromising.

Moving down the hallways she stopped short when she almost stepped on an arm. Following the arm to the passed out body in his living room Nanao discovered Matsumoto sleeping and drooling, her uniform nearly falling open. Nanao suppressed a groan as she took in the rest of the scene, men and women strewn across the furniture and the floor. Looked like her Taicho had not been so sleepy after all. She took everything back. She was going to rip him a new one when the review was over.

Ignoring the passed out men and women she stormed down the hallway to his room. What was the idiot thinking throwing a huge party and probably drinking himself silly directly after he got released from the 4th?

Nanao threw the bedroom door open with enough force to make a reverberating crack. "You drunk, lazy, idiot," she roared. It would serve the rest of them right if it woke them up too with terrible hangovers. "I hope your head is killing you and the Soutaicho is in a nasty mood."

She regretted her actions almost as soon as she had taken them. The bed sheets barely covered all the nakedness. Given his bed probably wasn't designed to handle a man of his size and two women as well. One of the women had sat bolt upright at the sound of the door crashing open, and Nanao hastily averted her eyes. It wasn't like she hadn't caught him in a compromising position before, but it'd been an awful long time, and she wasn't in any hurry to recognize whatever shinigami were in the bed with him. Nothing was more awkward than dropping off paperwork at other divisions and knowing who'd slept with your Taicho. How foolish of her to think he'd matured a bit in the past couple of years. How silly of her to think things could change.

Shunsui mumbled something out, and she continued to stare at the doorframe. "The Soutaicho is requesting your presence at the division review, Kyouraku Taicho."

"Tell him I'm sick," Shunsui groaned.

"He specifically requested you be there," she ground out through clenched teeth. "I hardly think you being hungover will qualify as an excuse with him when your just being out of the 4th didn't work."

"How about still being in bed with two beautiful ladies?" One of the women giggled and Nanao worked hard not to break her fingers clenching them into fists.

"Also not an appropriate excuse, sir. Please hurry up, we're already late waiting for you."

"You're going to have to come over here and get me," he said and she could hear the lazy grin in his tone without ever seeing it.

"Kyouraku-Taicho, I don't want to harm your bedmates, but if you make me, so help me, I will throw a kido at your bed so hard no one will believe you ever had one. Ladies, I would suggest you move out of the way now."

"You're going to have to look up to hit the target," he said dryly.

"I assure you, sir, I have a very accurate lock on your reiatsu."

"Yare, yare, I'm coming," he said with a sigh. She heard him shuffling to get out of the bed and turned her back on the room.

"I'll meet you at the front door in no more than ten minutes. You won't enjoy it if I have to come and retrieve you," she said and quickly escaped his house again.

Waiting on the front porch she pinched the bridge of her nose and hoped her on-coming headache wouldn't turn into a full-fledged migraine. Just when she thought they'd hit an easy level of companionship he had to go and do something like this. It wasn't like he owed her anything or he couldn't sleep with whomever he liked, but to get out of the 4th and immediately start up his antics was something she'd thought they'd moved past. Nanao shook her head and tried to be rational. He could do whatever he wanted, he was a full-grown man, and when had she decided she had any say on his personal life anyway? They weren't together no matter how much their friends teased them or how flirty he could be. She had no right to be upset beyond him failing to show up to work when he was clearly capable. They'd just spent so much time together recently she'd gotten too involved and had grown to expect a certain level of maturity from him. Stupid of her, really. Well that was fine, she'd just have to distance herself again. No more weekend outings and evening dinners after work, and she could certainly spend some holidays in the Seireitei with friends instead of always going to his family. He could do whatever he wanted, including drinking himself into a stupor and sleeping with bimbos right after he got out of the 4th. What did it matter to her? It wasn't like she was in love with the idiot.

"Ready?" Shunsui asked as he came out the front door looking the worse for wear.

"Of course, sir," she said tightly. "It's not as if we were waiting on me."

"Nanao-chan is cruel this morning."

"You were released from the 4th yesterday. Was it really necessary to drink and screw your brains out right after?" she asked sharply, unable to hold it in.

"You're not my mother, Nanao, I can do whatever I want," he said coolly squinting out at the sun.

Nanao jerked back as if he'd hit her. For one she hadn't expected the cold rebuff and for another he'd left the affectionate suffix off her name. "Of course, sir, my apologies. As long as you report to work on time, it's none of my concern what you do. The Soutaicho is waiting, Kyouraku Taicho."

"Then we best be on our way," he said and she might have heard a note of regret in his tone, but he didn't offer any further apology and she quickly slipped into shunpo and tried to control her fury. One thing was for sure, he'd be getting no lenience from her for the near future. She was banishing his naps from the office and she was quite sure the roof needed some yearly maintenance. Let him sleep on the ground somewhere for all she cared.

* * *

><p>Shunsui followed a step behind her and frowned. He'd clearly succeeded in upsetting her. He fought the inner urge to instantly apologize to her and make it right again. One glance at the still dark bruises on her neck right above her shinigami uniform hardened his resolve though. It'd be safer if they maintained a more platonic friendship, and he'd be free to do all the things he'd been missing out on recently. The fact that last night had brought him little pleasure was of no concern. His drinking and sleeping around had never been about pleasure, just about forgetting.<p>

He glanced at Nanao again, her spine rigid with her anger. It would take an awful lot of fooling around to forget how much he cared for her. Shunsui sighed and shook his head. In the end it would be for the best.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Let me know what you think. I know fluff gets more reviews, but the drama is harder for me to write so I'm always curious how it will go over.**

**Thanks to Arihimew, Megiddo, Hanaeko and Liferscove2118 for the reviews on the last chapter! I didn't actually intentionally make a Grey's Anatomy reference as I never really watched it, but my roommate informed me that dark and twisty is one, so yay for unknowing pop culture references :)**


	9. Two Years Later

"I can't believe it!" Rangiku charged breathlessly up to the table Nanao was sitting at.

"Keep your voice down," Nanao hissed. "It's a library after all."

"They'll have to forgive me since Shiba Kaien is dead," Rangiku said. "And why are you just sitting here reading so calmly?"

"What?" Nanao yelled for once entirely forgetting her composure. "What are you talking about?" She knew about Shiba Miyako's passing, which had been sad enough, but what could have possibly happened to Kaien so soon after?

"I just heard. I thought you'd know?" Rangiku asked looking mortified. "Didn't Kyouraku-san tell you?"

"I haven't seen my Taicho since the last time he felt the need to grace the office with his presence for about an hour yesterday. Are you quite sure this information is true and not just gossip?"

"I'm so sorry Nanao-san, I thought you would have heard. They're saying it was a mission gone wrong, that the Kuchiki girl killed him."

Nanao sat there stunned. None of it made any sense. She'd just seen Kaien earlier this week at the Fukutaicho meeting. There was no way he could be dead. Besides that Kuchiki Rukia adored Kaien. Nanao had seen them together when she'd visited the 13th and there was no way that girl could have purposefully harmed Kaien. It was impossible. Nanao scanned for her Taicho's reiatsu and found it in the 13th division. "I have to go Rangiku-san," she said standing abruptly.

"Of course, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you this way," Matsumoto said dolefully.

"It's fine." Nanao gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder before moving past her and walking briskly towards the door. She stepped into a shunpo the second she was out of the library. She landed at the 13th division minutes later and walked hurriedly to the main office. No one was there and Nanao debated what to do. She could sense both Taichos not far away in Ukitake's private quarters, but didn't think it was right to intrude. If she could only find Sentaro or Kiyone at least she'd have some answers, but it seemed like everyone from the 13th was in the barracks. Undecided Nanao let her reiatsu brush questioningly against her Taicho's. It was rather intrusive of her, and she hadn't done it for a couple years, but she wasn't sure what else to do.

A few minutes later her Taicho walked into the empty office. His sad eyes confirmed her worst fears. "Nanao-chan," he said quietly.

"Oh no, it can't be," Nanao said with the tears threatening, making her throat work to form the words. "Not right after Miyako-san. What happened?"

"They went after the hollow that killed her. Jyuu, Kaien-kun, and Rukia-kun went to the hollow's lair, but it took control of Kaien-kun. Jyuu had a bout of illness and Rukia-kun killed Kaien-kun accidentally. It really was the only way, but of course the girl will never see it that way. The poor thing blames herself entirely," he explained looking more tired and old than he had in years.

Nanao closed her eyes and tried to compose herself. They lived with death daily, it was part of the job, but it never stopped it from hurting when a friend was taken. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I said I'd stay with Jyuu," Kyouraku started.

"Of course, I can handle anything at the office," Nanao agreed nodding.

"The office can wait Nanao-chan." He slumped down in a nearby chair and closed his eyes for a moment before focusing on her again. "I know Kaien-kun was your friend. You should be with the people you care about. Times like these shouldn't be spent alone."

She shook her head. For Kyouraku friends and drink were how he handled tragedy. She found those things only made her feel worse in times of stress. "Do you or Ukitake Taicho need anything?"

"More sake perhaps," Kyouraku said with a rueful grin.

"I'll have some delivered to his quarters," Nanao said and he looked up at her surprised. "Did you think I'd chastise you for that, now? I know how close Ukitake Taicho was with Kaien-san. They weren't just Taicho and Fukutaicho, they were good friends. This is a terrible blow. I'll have the sake delivered, go back to your friend."

"Thank you, Nanao-chan," he said quietly as she turned to leave. She nodded once and shunpoed away to make arrangements. The 13th would need someone to handle their paperwork while they were mourning, she would go to the 1st and make sure it was delivered to her and her staff. The Kuchiki girl would need help as well, Kuchiki Byakuya was not known to be a sympathetic ear. She would find out if the girl was still at the 4th or at home and arrange for some extra visits from members of the SWA. They wouldn't be able to stop the girl's pain, but at least they could try and offer some comfort, let her know it was not her fault and she still had friends. Finally she'd have to make sure some food found it's way to Ukitake's quarters. Let them drink if they wanted, but they should have at least some food to blunt the nastier effects of the sake. It wouldn't do to have then emotional drained and physically destroyed.

* * *

><p>A week later found Nanao scratching away at paperwork in the office late into the night. She sighed as she completed another form and leaned back in her chair closing her eyes and arching her back letting it crack comfortably.<p>

"Nanao-chan," a dusky voice rumbled from the door.

"Kyouraku Taicho," she said, her eyes snapping open as she sat up properly in her chair. "What are you doing here?"

He lifted an eyebrow as she stood to give him a proper bow as greeting. "I believe I'm allowed. It is my office after all."

"I only meant shouldn't you be with Ukitake Taicho?"

"Jyuu is with his division. They've all been suffering Kaien-kun's loss."

"I am glad he is well enough to leave his quarters."

"Yes, he'll be ok in the end," Kyouraku said sadly as he made his way over to her desk. "Strangely enough he expected his office to be a mess when he returned and found that someone had been handling everything discreetly."

"It was the least I could do." And it was true. If nothing else her skill set allowed her to offer this small comfort. She wasn't good at emotional displays and grand gestures, but she could make sure that at least a few worries were removed from Ukitake's shoulders in his time of need. She glanced away from Kyouraku's thoughtful gaze and started to organize the papers she'd been working on.

He placed his hand on top of the pile to still her work. She glanced up at him and released the papers, fidgeting with her uniform sleeve. "It's hard enough keeping up with our paperwork, Nanao-chan, let alone another division's. Not to mention the myriad of other little things that seem to be magically taking care of themselves. Have you rested at all?"

"I am well enough if that is what you're asking."

"Nanao-chan, no one has seen you outside this office for days other than Kaien-kun's and Miyako-kun's funeral."

"I'm fine, Kyouraku Taicho," she said wrapping her arms around her waist. The only thing she wanted right now was for him to leave. She'd been handling her sadness just fine, and didn't need him picking at an open wound. Her friends were dead and there was nothing she could do to change it. He was the last person she wanted to have this conversation with. "You should go home and rest too."

"You can't always be the one doing the looking after," he said with a sigh. "I'm sorry I didn't check in on you."

"It's not your duty to check in on me," she said sharply. "I'm only your Fukutaicho and Ukitake Taicho's grief far outweighs my own."

"You aren't alone. You don't have to bury yourself in work."

"Members of the SWA have been helping me with the work," she said. "We don't all drink away our pain, sir."

"Nanao-chan," he said reaching for her hand. She jerked it away and glared at him. She hadn't let him touch her in anything other than a professional manner in a couple years and she certainly didn't intend to start allowing it again now.

"I'm fine, sir. Go home."

"You're angry with me."

"I'm not angry with you. I'm angry at the situation, and I just don't know why you care now."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You've barely spoken to me outside of work for the past two years, and now suddenly you think you have the right to show up and worry about my well-being?" she asked sharply. He backed away from her and she wanted to smack herself. Whatever had changed between them in the past couple years, they'd both been careful not to discuss. He'd pulled away from her quickly and with an efficiently she would have normally envied, and she was in no position to force her friendship on him. "I'm fine, _sir_."

"Nanao," he said sounding pained.

"I meant nothing by it, sir. We've all been under stress. I'll take these to the first and then go home to rest."

He caught her arm gently as she moved to walk past him and halted her in her steps. "I'm afraid I've been crueler than my Nanao-chan as of late."

"Taicho, you're right, I'm tired," she said pulling away from his hand to put the papers down. She did not want to have this conversation. It was not the time to address old wounds. "I'll go straight home."

"I only thought to protect us both," he murmured. "Can't teach an old dog new tricks, huh? No matter how many times I learn it I always seem to think caring less will solve the problem."

"Problem, sir? I'm sure I don't understand."

"I know I've been cold with you," he said and she shook her head. "Stop, we both know it to be true. I just couldn't stand to hurt you or see you hurt. I thought if we were not so close I could avoid what Jyuushiro is suffering though now, what I've suffered in the past."

"You owe me no explanations, you're my Taicho."

"It didn't work, because all I could think while I comforted my friend was what if the same had happened to you and how lucky I was that it hadn't. It would hurt me no less having distanced myself from you."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Anything, nothing, I don't know. I'm sorry I hurt you no matter what I do."

"Kyouraku Taicho, you're an idiot. Have you ever tried to distance yourself from Ukitake Taicho for similar reasons?"

"It's different."

"Because I'm female?" she asked nastily.

"No, of course not," he argued.

"Then why?"

"It's just different with you," he said looking at her as if he was willing her to understand.

"Of course," she said with a snort. She didn't understand at all. He'd made the decision they shouldn't be friends at some point and she'd had no choice in the matter. Whatever had prompted it certainly wasn't something she could fix. He chose this path for them and it wasn't her responsibility to alter it. "Goodnight, Taicho."

"Take tomorrow off, Nanao-chan," he said with a sigh allowing her to pass.

"I still have a few things to take care of in the office tomorrow. The 13th is not ready to take on their full duties again."

"Surely one of the other divisions can help," he said. "Kaien-kun was your friend too."

"I have mourned enough," she said sternly forcing her own distress down again. He'd given her quite a bit of practice in hiding her hurt for the last couple years.

"Nanao-chan," he said warningly. "We may not be as close as we once were, but you have not changed so very much. You're working yourself to the bone. It may be more productive than drinking, but it's just as destructive in the long term. We're both addicts in our own way."

"I'm fine," she said. "Death comes with the job description."

"You should teach me your method, Nanao-chan, for moving on so quickly," he said scathingly.

She slapped him. It happened before she even had time to register she was going to do it. Oh well, nothing for it now. "We don't all mourn the same. How dare you judge me. Kaien-san and Miyako-san did not deserve to have this happen to them. They're two of the kindest people I've ever met. What do you want me to do? Fall weeping into your arms? Sit in the dark of my room and cry until there are no more tears left? What good will it do? It won't bring them back."

"That was harsh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way, but crying isn't weakness," he said rubbing his cheek remorsefully. "It might just make you feel a bit better."

"I'll cry when I'm good and ready, Taicho, not when you demand it of me."

He held his hands up in defeat. "Just know that I'm here if you need me, Nanao-chan."

"I don't, sir," she said crossly. He couldn't just turn his affection and friendship on and off like that. She wouldn't tolerate it. "I haven't spent the last two years pining over you, don't think that I have. I have my own friends and my own life."

"Then take the day off and see them tomorrow," he commanded softly. "I'll see to the paperwork." When she opened her mouth to argue he cut her off. "I swear on Jyuushiro's life I won't dodge out on the work."

"Taicho," she started and then shook her head letting the anger leak out of her. "I'm sorry I hit you."

"I deserved that and more, Nanao-chan," he said with a small laugh. "For what it's worth I am sorry for everything."

"Goodnight, Taicho."

* * *

><p>Shunsui watched her walk out of the office and sighed, rubbing his sore cheek. The past week had been terrible, and reminded him far too much of the loss of his own Fukutaicho all those years ago. He'd found himself wanting Nanao near him as he often had over the course of the past couple of years. It was selfish, much like many things he'd done in his life. After all he'd always been a selfish man. He wanted her safe from him and yet couldn't stand to push her away as he'd forced himself to do. Honestly he had no right to ever have her forgiveness, but as he sat there watching over Ukitake in his fitful sleep all he could think was what if something happened to her and she died not knowing that he cared for her.<p>

Who was he lying to, here alone in the dark? He loved her. He'd loved her two years ago and he still loved her now. He'd been a fool to think he could stop that by simply avoiding her and being cold. He'd been half tempted to transfer her to the 13th in the last week. To send her away and keep treading down his quickly crumbling path, but he'd found it impossible to even say the thought out loud. There was nothing for it, if he'd be this unhappy without her he might as well try to be with her, he'd have to make up for his past mistakes once again and hope one day she could forgive him. It wouldn't be easy. Nanao-chan never was, but he'd broken through her walls and meant something to her once. He could do it again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: All the drama, but we're getting into manga timeline, yay! Thank you for your thoughts and comments on the last chapter as it helps me make my next chapter/fic even better. Thanks to 0Sam0, Hanaeko (I had my roommate translate for me!), Elite-chan, Arihimew, liferscove2118, the one guest, and Megiddo (so sorry you didn't like it and are giving up the fic, but thank you for all the feedback so far!)**


	10. Fourteen Years Later

"Why do you look so glum?" Matsumoto asked sitting down next to Shunsui.

"Do I look glum? I don't mean to. I clearly just haven't had enough to drink." He smiled at her to convince her further and took another sip. He hadn't been in the mood to socialize tonight and had stopped at the bar for a quick drink before he'd planned to go home and go to bed early. He knew people would be shocked to know it, but he occasionally just enjoyed spending some time by himself.

"Staring moodily into your sake and drinking alone at the bar," Matsumoto chastised shaking her head. "You can't get much more glum than that."

"A few more cups and I'll be fine," he said good-naturedly.

"I would have thought you'd be celebrating by now."

"Celebrating?" he asked quirking an eyebrow. "Jyuu-chan got out of the 4th days ago. You were at the party, or did you drink so much you don't remember?"

"Not that, silly," Matsumoto said with a laugh at his gentle teasing. "I meant about Nanao-chan."

"What about her?" he asked quizzically. "Did I forget something? It's not her birthday, that's for sure." He'd seen Nanao yesterday in the office before the weekend and she'd not hinted at anything he should be remembering. Given if it was some celebration of one of her accomplishments she wasn't likely to remind him. He racked his brain trying to think what Matsumoto was referencing.

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"My goodness, you really haven't heard!"

"Ran-chan, will you tell me what you're talking about or will I have to bribe it out of you?"

"Bribe me," she said with an absolutely salacious smile. "Trust me, you won't mind when I share."

Shunsui smiled at the infectiously good-natured woman and waved for another jug of sake from the barmaid. "Well? What information have I bought?"

"Well you know Nanao-chan, right?"

He lifted an eyebrow at her and shook his head, but decided to let her have her fun. After all he always had appreciated a good game. "Yes, I have the pleasure of her acquaintance."

"And you're aware of Hashimoto-san from the 5th division?"

Shunsui could feel his expression darken although he fought it valiantly. "Yes, I've heard of the man."

"Of course you have, it'd be difficult not to be aware of the man your Fukutaicho has been dating for three years now. Especially when you've been hopelessly in love with her for so much longer," Matsumoto said gleefully as the sake arrived. If her point had been to torture him, he hoped that sake made her sick. He motioned for her to continue, even though he wasn't sure if he wanted this piece of gossip now, and took a deep draft of his own cup. "Well, had you heard that Hashimoto-san asked your sweet Nanao-chan to marry him last night?"

Shunsui spit out his sake and nearly gave himself whiplash turning to look at her to judge her honesty. He'd dreaded this day coming. Over the last fourteen years he'd repaired some of the damage he'd done to his and Nanao's friendship, but it always seemed like one step forward with her resulted in several steps back. He should have known that befriending Nanao-chan the second time around would be much harder than it was the first time, not that it had been easy then either. Nanao was a very guarded soul. He'd betrayed her trust when he'd shut her out all those years ago, and she was not quick in giving it again. Still he'd thought he'd had a hope of one day winning her back over until she'd begun dating Hashimoto-san. He could raise no objections for as far as he could tell the boy was kind, hard-working, and well liked by everyone who knew him, but it didn't make it hurt any less. He'd backed off in his pursuit of her as soon as she'd started dating the boy and tried to bury himself in his own social engagements, but it had never driven her from his mind. He'd found himself in the office more often as of late, if only to steal those brief moments with her.

Shunsui moved to stand, not entirely sure what he was going to do but suddenly feeling claustrophobic. Matsumoto grabbed his shoulder to stall him and keep him in his seat. "Clearly you hadn't heard," she said with a laugh and he wasn't sure what was so funny. "Then I suppose you haven't heard the rest of the story?"

"I'm not sure I want to," he grumbled.

"Oh you do," she said with a sunny grin. "It's why you bought me this wonderful sake after all. Nanao-chan refused him."

Shunsui felt something loosen in his chest and tried to act as if it hadn't affected him so deeply. "Is that so? Do you know why?" He reached for his sake and tried to act casual.

"No one's talked to her since it happened as she hasn't left her home, but some of your talkative division members apparently overheard the whole thing. He proposed in the 8th's gardens and she turned him down flat, broke up with him too."

"Did she give him a reason why?" he asked curiously.

"Not that the eavesdroppers told me," she said with a shrug. "Does it matter why?"

"They've been dating for three years, that's an awfully long time for her to suddenly decide he wasn't something she wanted."

"Perhaps she has someone else in mind," Matsumoto said sweetly.

"If only that were true," Shunsui scoffed. "I should probably check on her. Make sure she's ok, you know?"

"Mmmhmm," Matsumoto agreed rolling her eyes. "Just don't screw it up." She waved over his head and he turned to see Ichimaru Gin coming their way. He didn't understand the woman's love of the odd fellow, but if it made her happy he was not one to judge.

"Me? Screw something up with Nanao-chan? I would never," he said with a short laugh getting up and giving his seat over to Ichimaru.

"Good luck," Matsumoto called after him as he left the bar.

As he got outside he scanned quickly for Nanao's reiatsu and found that despite what everyone seemed to think, she'd managed to slip out of her home with no one the wiser. What surprised him was where he found her. Shunsui debated the wisdom of following after her. His mother had been pretty clear over the years how disappointed she was that Nanao no longer attended family events and only visited her sparingly and on her own. He'd never explained the whole story to her, but he didn't think it would have helped since his mother was already convinced it was all his fault. Perhaps he ought to wait until Nanao left his old family home and returned to the Seireitei. Although this did present him with the perfect opportunity to show up and pretend he didn't know she was there. Perhaps he'd just go home to have a cup of tea with his dear sweet mother.

A few swift shunpo steps later found Shunsui entering his childhood home. A maid pointed him down the hall and he found his mother reading in the soft lamplight. She looked up as he entered and snorted. "She's in your old room. I assumed you wouldn't mind," she said turning her eyes back to the book.

"What?" he asked about to stutter out an excuse.

"Nanao-san is staying in your old room. We spent some time in the dojo this afternoon and she didn't feel like going back to the Seireitei tonight. Your room had just had the bed linens changed as your nephew demanded to stay there when he was here yesterday. I would have put her up somewhere else if I'd known you were coming too. Although I suppose I should have assumed."

"I was just stopping by to say hi to my dear old mom," Shunsui said with a grin. His nephew always claimed his old room when Shunsui wasn't around as it was still full of his old puzzles, games, and secret compartments.

"Of course you were, dear," his mother said waving him away. "Just don't bother her too much and try not to act too happy about the situation. I don't want to have to replace the walls when she kido blasts you through one."

"Did she tell you why she turned him down?"

"She simply said they broke up and she didn't want her prying friends to bother her. Silly of her to think this house was protection against that," his mother finished dryly.

"I'm not prying, I'm comforting," he said with a shrug.

"I'll have the maid make up the guest room down the hall from her. I assume you don't mind letting her keep your room for the evening."

"Anything for Nanao-chan," he answered closing the space between them and dropping a kiss to his mom's forehead. She batted him away and stood up, forcing him back a step.

"You and your ridiculous affections," she chastised lightly. "Shoo." She headed out into the hallway presumably to find a maid, and he headed towards his own room.

He paused outside the door and composed himself. No matter how elated he was at the turn of events Nanao had been dating the man for years and it was surly not going to be a happy occasion.

"Are you going to knock or just lurk all night?" her irritated voice called through the door.

He grinned slightly and rapped on the doorframe with his knuckles. It slid open a second later and Nanao glared up at him in a sleeping shirt. He was on his best behavior and didn't stare at her legs.

"Why are you here?"

"I heard what happened and wanted to make sure you were ok," he said more seriously.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "You traveled all the way out here just to ask if I was ok? I'm sure the gossip already let you know I was the one that broke up with him."

"That doesn't mean you're alright," he said with a shrug. "You were together a long time. Just because you're the one that does the breaking up doesn't make it enjoyable."

"I suppose you would know from experience," she said rolling her eyes. "Well, I'm fine. Thank you for checking, Taicho. Did you need anything else?"

He stamped down on his desire to ask her even more questions and instead shook his head. "I'll be down the hall if you need me," he said motioning towards the door a maid was exiting with old linens.

"I'm not a child. I won't need you," she said stubbornly. "And you should have your own room if you're staying. I'll grab my bag and go down the hall."

"That's unnecessary, you're already settled," he said touching her arm to stop her from going to collect her things.

"I don't want to intrude on your home."

"You have never been an intrusion."

"Still it's your room," she said with a sigh. She looked exhausted and he suddenly felt very guilty for feeling happy about the situation.

"It's the best room, and the guest should have the best room," he said kindly.

Nanao snorted and looked back to the room. "I don't know that it's the best room. It's awfully cluttered to be considered the best."

"That's just to hide its awesome," he said smiling. "Want to know a secret?"

"I suppose you're going to tell me whether I want to know or not."

"May I?" he asked gesturing towards the room. She scooted to the side and let him come in. "There's a reason why my nephew always demands this room when he's here."

"Because it's full of old children's toys?" Nanao asked shutting the door and following him into the room.

"I'm going to ignore the 'old' in that comment Nanao-chan." He smiled as he walked over to a wardrobe in front of the bed and swung open the doors. Shoving the small amount of clothing to each side he fiddled with the back of the wardrobe. "Mainly it's because I've snuck in upgrades over the years." The back of the wardrobe slid down to reveal a television.

"You did not smuggle that back from the living world," Nanao said surprised. "Does it even get shows?"

"I bribed the 12th for a converter," he said as she came over to investigate. "There's a secret latch in the back I showed my nephew." He walked over to the side table by the bed and quickly went through the motions of the puzzle box sitting there. The box sprang open and he took out the remote flipping the television on for her. "It gets most of the channels in the living world, and I threw a kido blocking sound barrier up around the room so you can't hear it from the hall."

Nanao closed her eyes for a moment and he knew she was sensing the kido. She was always up for exploring a spell. "It's not bad," she said opening her eyes. "I'd make a few modifications, but it's not bad."

"Do tell."

"I could probably tweak it so it doesn't need to be refreshed as often," she said concentrating on the spell once again. "I'd probably add a reverse amplification so that noise in the hallway is louder in the room if anyone comes near the door so you have plenty of warning. I'd also soften the edges so that it sounds more like white noise in the hallway instead of complete silence. Knowing someone is in a room and having it be completely silent can be just as telling as too much noise. You might not know what's wrong, but you'll know something is off."

"Clever on all accounts. Think you can do it?"

"I can work something up for you," she said with a shrug. "Does your brother and sister-in-law want him watching all that without supervision? I'm not sure I should help the two of you get away with it."

"What they don't know won't hurt them, and besides I don't get any of the raunchy channels or I wouldn't have let him in on the secret. Oh and it gets better!" He moved over to pick up an old shamisen and played a little tune. As he finished a panel in one wall slid down revealing a little cubby. Nanao lifted an eyebrow at him and he nodded his head towards it for her to explore.

"It's full of snacks," she said with a laugh. "This can't be standard to the house."

"I may occasionally sneak contractors in when my parents are on vacations or visiting other nobility," he confessed walking over and reaching past her to remove another more complicated puzzle box in the back. Flipping through the memorized motions he got the box to pop open and reveal a small key.

"Do I even want to know what the key goes to?" she asked with a delighted grin, and he reveled in being able to take that sad look off her face if only for a short time.

He moved over to the closet and cleared some sandals away to get to the small lock in the floor. Turning the key he pulled up the door to another small hidden cubby with Nanao leaning over his shoulder and peering in.

"I hope your nephew doesn't know about this one," she chastised.

"Nope, the alcohol stash is just for grownups staying in the room," he said with a laugh. "Come on, I haven't even shown you the best one yet."

"Better than sake?"

"I'm most proud of this one. Took a lot of years and a lot of sneaking contractors in and out to get set up," he said moving over to his bookcase. Reaching to the very top he pulled down a dusty old copy of a book about the physics of interdimensional travel. Flipping the book open revealed it to be a fake with a button inside. "Care to do the honors?"

She reached in and pushed the button. "Nothing happened."

"Well it isn't done yet," he said, "Anyone could find a book and push a button. It just started a timer. Now you have 30 seconds to pull the correct book that has the lever underneath it." He put the book back on the top shelf and tugged on a book in the bottom left shelf that covered the history of the tea ceremony. The lever it had been depressing popped up and the bookcase swung slightly away from the wall. Nanao glanced at the crack and then back at him. "Well? Aren't you curious?"

She shot him a little grin and tugged the bookcase open further on its hidden hinges. "Do not tell me you've got a secret passageway in your own house!"

"Of course not, silly Nanao-chan. I've got a secret passageway in my parents' house," he said stepping up beside her and looking in the doorway that led down a flight of stairs. He grabbed the flashlight that rested on the first step and started a few stairs down before stopping and looking back to find her still standing at the top. "Well? Aren't you coming?"

She let out a laugh. "Fifty-two years of working with you and you still never cease to surprise me."

"Back at you, Nanao-chan," he said grinning. "Now come on." She followed him down the flight of stairs and then down a hallway when it leveled out. They came to a fork in the passage and he started down the right.

"What's to the left?" she asked.

"Leads down to the kitchen," he said as they passed another fork. "Down that way goes out to the dojo and the hot springs."

"And where are we going?"

"You'll just have to wait to find out." They walked quietly along for a few minutes before he took her up a flight of stairs and paused in front of a door with carvings and no door handle.

"It's a pattern game," Nanao said analyzing it. "I assume you have to guess the next correct move in the pattern and then push the button next to that option?"

"Mmhmm, think you can figure it out?"

"Of course," she said looking at it thoughtfully. A minute later she pressed the right button and the door creaked open slightly. "I assume all the other passages have similar games. Out of curiosity what happens if you guess wrong?"

"Locks you out for 24 hours," he said pressing on the door to ease it open for her. "Not all of the doors are pattern games, but yes they all have a game to open them."

Nanao stepped out of the door and grinned in the darkness. "It's the library and another swinging bookshelf."

"Thought you might like that."

"You know you could just walk down the normal hallway like everyone else, right? It is your parents' house after all."

"Yes, but this is more fun. Besides it's a lot easier to avoid annoying extended family at the holidays, bypass anyone who happens to be annoyed at me, and move around the house when there's nobility visiting or boring parties happening."

"It's wonderful," she said. "Do you have any of these in the 8th?"

"Now I can't tell you that," he said smiling. "Maybe I use those to avoid you and your armfuls of paperwork."

She rolled her eyes. "You're right. You must not. I'd have already felt your reiatsu creeping through the walls."

"It's harder to modify division buildings with no one knowing," he conceded.

She stepped back into the passage and he followed behind her swinging the door shut and pointing the flashlight ahead to guide her steps. "You should probably add some reiatsu barriers in case anyone does find all the secret levers and figures out the games."

"I had some, but it got annoying to take them up and down and no one has seemed to discover these."

"I could put one up that would just let certain reiatsu signatures through so you didn't have to take it up and down. It wouldn't stop anyone else, but it'd sure give them a hell of a shock."

"I'd worry about my nieces and nephews finding it," he said thoughtfully. "Could the spell be tweaked to do something else?"

"I suppose I could change it so it was a sort of alarm bell, but then that risks sending other people running and discovering the whole thing. I'll think of something."

"I'm sure you will," he said as they re-entered his room. "You always do." He shut the bookcase and reset the books before turning around to find her sitting on the bed and looking faraway and sad again. Searching for something to say he glanced at the TV and recognized the movie playing. "This is a good one," he said trying to distract her.

"Huh?"

"The movie, have you seen it?"

"Oh," she said refocusing on the TV. "No I don't think so. I don't have one and I rarely watch the one Matsumoto-san has so I probably haven't."

"It's some goofy thing about aliens, but it's worth a good laugh."

"Do you want to stay and watch?"

"I didn't mean to intrude," he said. "I should probably go and let you get some rest."

She shrugged and went to get some pocky out of the cubby. "Stay. I need someone to explain what's happened in the movie so far, and I'm not that tired. Switch off the light?"

"Far be it from me to deny you anything," he said to earn another eye roll and turned off the light before sitting down on the ground.

"Are you really going to sit down there?" she asked climbing back on to the bed.

"You want me in the bed with you?"

"It's not like I'm inviting you to sleep with me," she said. "It's just a piece of furniture, but do whatever makes you comfortable." He got up cautiously and settled down next to her on the bed, careful not to touch any part of her. "So what's going on?" she asked munching on a pocky and handing him the box.

Thirty minutes later he'd filled her in and they'd stretched out on the bed lapsing into a comfortable silence as the movie played out on the screen. He could tell she wasn't really watching it, but if she wanted him there then he was happy to stay and fake it next to her. If she wanted to pretend everything was ok, he was happy to oblige.

It was only when her body started to tremble next to him a few minutes later and tears started to fall that he reached over and pulled her into his arms. He risked life and limb by doing it, but he couldn't just lay there and watch her cry. The contact broke her last reserve and she sobbed quietly into his chest while he made soothing noises and rubbed her back.

"It's going to be ok, Nanao-chan." He hated the next words that were going to come out of his mouth, but in the end all he wanted was to see her happy. "If you're having second thoughts, I'm sure you can speak to Hashimoto-san and work it out."

"I'm not having second thoughts," she said pulling away and gulping for air. She ran her hand across her cheeks, pushing the tear tracks away, and he wished he had tissue to offer. "I did the right thing, but that isn't making this feel any better."

"I'm here, if you want to talk about it," he offered, though he wasn't sure he wanted to be her sounding board for this. They'd talked very little about her relationship and he'd generally preferred to pretend Hashimoto didn't exist.

She gave a watery laugh and sniffed. "You've never wanted to hear about it before."

"I didn't know you wanted to share."

"You don't even like him."

"I never said that."

"You barely said ten words to him in three years. He was terrified of coming by the office."

"I didn't do anything to him!" he said defensively.

"Sometimes being completely silent can be just as telling," she said repeating herself from earlier in the night. "Not that it matters now."

"I hope you didn't break up with him because of me," he said with a frown. Or at least he hoped she didn't break up with the man because she thought he disliked him. If she broke up with Hashimoto because she'd discovered she was actually in love with him instead, he'd be fine with that.

"No," Nanao sighed. "Far worse than that."

"Care to explain?"

"I was bored. That's it. He was kind, and loving, and would have done anything for me," she said quietly. "And I was just, bored. How horrible am I?"

"That isn't horrible, Nanao-chan."

"The girls would gush in the SWA about what a perfect boyfriend I had and half the time I'd wonder what they saw in him so I'd decide to try harder and be a better girlfriend, and somehow three years slipped by and here I am. When he asked me to marry him, I just, I just saw our whole lives spreading out in front of us and I was so very _bored_. I should have never let it get that far. No matter what you say, it's an awful reason not to want to be with someone who is otherwise sweet and caring."

"It's a legitimate reason not to want to be with someone, Nanao-chan," he defended. "If we don't die in the field, we live long lives. Who wants that to be boring? It doesn't matter how nice some people are. That doesn't make them instantly interesting and it doesn't mean the chemistry is there. Besides that, you've always needed a challenge. Being loving isn't enough. You need someone who will make you better, and for that you need someone who will push you."

"But _I'm_ boring," she said. "It's a bit unfair of me to ask my significant other to be thrilling when I'm so strict and rule-abiding. The SWA clearly thought we were perfectly matched."

"First of all, the SWA coos over every romantic relationship. I've been to the Valentine's Day parties you women throw. Matsumoto-chan is more invested in that holiday than I am, and that's saying something. But I'm sure if they knew you felt this way they wouldn't have pushed it. Second of all, you are the furthest thing from boring I've ever met."

"That's sweet, but not true," she said sniffling as she started to regain her composure.

"Nanao-chan, I can't convince you of things you refuse to see, but you are fascinating, and I can't imagine how boring my life would be without you in it."

She huffed and smacked his arm, but curled back down next to him on the bed. "We're missing the movie."

"Of course," he said realizing she was done talking about it. To be fair he was shocked she'd confided that much in him at all. Nanao always did like to keep her emotions to herself. He took a risk and settled an arm around her, which she didn't shrug off, and let his mind wander for the rest of the movie.

When it ended he glanced down and found her soundly asleep. Slipping out of the bed he tugged the covers out from under her and then up and over her, running a hand softly through her hair. "Goodnight, Nanao-chan," he said quietly sliding her glasses off gently and depositing them on the side table before turning off the TV and leaving the room.

He saw a light on down the hall and found his mother still up reading. He'd gotten some of his insomnia from her. It's why he slept during the day when he could. He never knew when the next bout would strike.

"Is she going to be alright?" his mother asked marking her page.

"She'll live," he said taking the chair across from her. "Breakups are never fun."

"You disappeared for quite some time," she commented.

"Is this where you ask if I took advantage of her in her saddened state?"

"I'm your mother, and I know you better than that despite you trying to make everyone think you're a womanizing lout. You'd never take advantage of her. I just have never known you to want to stick around and comfort a crying woman either. That's what you've had Jyuushiro-kun for all these years, leave the comforting of broken hearts to him."

"Nanao-chan is different," he said with a shrug. He wanted to be around her no matter what her mood was.

"I'm glad I didn't adopt her," his mother said with a small knowing smile.

"I'm going to bed," he said flashing her a warning look and getting back to his feet. The last thing he needed was his mother remarking on his unrequited love.

"Don't worry, darling," his mother called after him. "She'll come around as long as you don't screw it up again."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So sorry for the delayed posting! The holidays have made my schedule crazy. Hopefully it was worth the wait.**

**Meanwhile thank you all for the thoughtful and sweet reviews. I can't properly express how much they make my day. Thanks to Dressed With Black, liferscove2118, Mondtanz, Hanaeko. Also special thanks to 0Sam0 for taking time to review with your busy schedule! Good luck with your tests, and I'm glad this story is keeping you entertained!**


	11. Three Years Later

"Come on, Nanao-chan," he wheedled again. "Please come with. My mother will give me hell if you don't attend again."

"Sir, I haven't gone to your family's for the holidays in almost two decades now, so I'm sure they're used to it by now," she said stamping another form and placing it in her done pile. "Besides it wouldn't be appropriate."

"It'd be fine. More than fine actually. You know you're always invited." And she did know. He'd spent the past three years since she'd broken up with Hashimoto begging for weeks leading up to Christmas for her to attend the festivities at his family estates. For all that their friendship had improved some over the years it wasn't a level of closeness she was willing to allow him again. She adored his family and it'd been hard enough the first time when the invitation for the holidays hadn't been forthcoming. She'd slowly realized she was going to have to avoid his family as whatever their relationship had once been crumbled all those years ago. It was easier to keep that part of them separate now and just visit his mother on her own once in a while. Anyway she certainly didn't see any of the other Fukutaichos going to their Taicho's family home for the holidays. She didn't need to let herself get as deeply involved with him as she'd once allowed herself to do. She was older and wiser and it was inappropriate.

"The answer is no, sir," she repeated. "I told you I already have plans."

"And yet you've never elaborated on said plans," he countered. "Please? My nieces and nephews have been begging to see you."

"Playing dirty now and using the children?" She quirked an eyebrow at him where he knelt in front of her desk with his pleading face resting on the edge. She used the end of her fan to push his forehead backwards and knock him off the edge of her desk. "I haven't elaborated on my plans, because you have no reason to know them. My personal time is my own." He made a sound of protest from the floor and knowing he wasn't going to let it go she offered up a bit more information. "I have Christmas plans with Matsumoto-san and Hinomori-san. Let it go, sir."

"Couldn't you just pop by for a Christmas eve drink tonight? Or maybe for the meal tomorrow? We could go right now."

"The office is still open for another half hour," she said simply. They had a half day for the holiday, but she was really the only person that was in as they'd given everyone else off. The only reason Kyouraku was there was to harass her since he hadn't succeeded yet. "And after that I'm meeting my friends. You should go home and start your holiday. I don't need you here."

"Nanao-chan," he whined, drawing out her name. "What will it take to get you to go home with me?"

"Nothing short of a miracle, sir." She got up to file some papers and stepped over where he'd remained collapsed on the floor in front of her desk. "Go home, sir. Tell your mother I'll visit in the new year." Finishing her filing she came back to her desk and picked up the paperweight to drop like a missile towards his head. He rolled quickly to the side and caught it before it hit the ground pouting up at her. "Go."

"Fine," he grumbled getting to his feet and putting the paperweight back on her desk. "But this isn't over."

"I'm sure next year will be another valiant effort," she agreed settling herself behind her desk once more. He made a move towards her and she didn't bother to glance up from her paperwork. "Sir, if you are about to try to dangle mistletoe over my head in the hopes of anything other than a sharp slap to the face you are gravely mistaken." From the corner of her eye she watched him stop in his tracks and stick his hand back behind his back.

"Merry Christmas, mean Nanao-chan."

"Merry Christmas, sir." She glanced up as he shut their office door, tracked his reiatsu for a few minutes to make sure he was actually leaving, and breathed a sigh of relief. He was always impossible when he was on a mission. Now with the office silent and empty she indulged her favorite way to spend Christmas Eve. Slipping into the kitchen she made herself a hot chocolate that she rarely indulged in and stopped by her Taicho's desk on the way to her own to turn on the radio he'd squirreled into their office at some point over the years. Finding a station pumping out holiday cheer she sat down at her desk and pulled a backlog of paperwork towards her. She'd spend the next couple hours in the quiet of the office slamming through paperwork that normally took her days with all the distractions, and then she'd go home and curl up with a hot drink, a light meal, and a good book before going to sleep knowing she had a few days of relaxation before starting the new year with a clean inbox. There was nothing quite so stress reducing as knowing she had no work to catch up on.

She closed up the office a few hours later and walked into the dark evening. She'd always hated how early it got dark in the winter, but right now with most of the streets of the Seireitei completely empty she took her time to enjoy the crisp evening air and strolled home. Nanao was looking forward to that hot drink and debating skipping the dinner and book and just going straight to bed in her relaxed state. That feeling went right out the window when she noticed the lights on in her little house. She was very meticulous and rarely forgot to turn off a light, let alone almost all of the lights except for her bedroom window. If it was a thief it wasn't a particularly clever one. Scanning her home she found a very familiar reiatsu. It was unfortunate that her Taicho would have to die on Christmas Eve.

The door was unlocked and she pushed it open with a resounding cracking noise. "Taicho!"

"Nanao-chan!" he sung happily sticking his head out from her kitchen to look at her in the entrance way. "So glad you're home. I thought you said it was only a half day of work. I was starting to worry."

"What in the hell are you doing in my home?" The pleasant aroma gave away the fact that he'd been cooking something that smelled delicious, but it still didn't answer why he was doing it or why he was doing it here.

"I'm making Nanao-chan a tasty Christmas Eve dinner." He disappeared into the kitchen again humming a carol to himself and Nanao let out a frustrated growl. Taking her shoes off she shoved the door shut and locked it quickly before heading into her kitchen under siege.

"I can see that," she started as he checked something in the oven. "Why?"

"Because no one should be alone on Christmas Eve," he said unconcerned. "And you wouldn't come to my family's."

"I wasn't going to be alone," she argued. "And speaking of your family, won't they be missing you about now?"

"I told them something came up at work and I had to stay, but I'd be over tomorrow." He shrugged and stirred something on the stove before pouring a glass of wine and holding it out to her.

"Taicho," she said warningly.

"You know it's funny. I went to speak with Matsumoto-chan as I wanted her to pass along my Christmas present to Nanao-chan, but she told me she had plans with Ichimaru-san tonight and tomorrow. So I asked her about Hinamori-chan and apparently she'd already left for the holiday with Hitsugaya-kun to see the woman they grew up with in the districts."

Nanao sniffed at his not so subtle accusation and took the glass of wine from his outstretched hand. "How did you get in my house?"

"Lucky for me," he answered with a pleased grin, "Matsumoto-chan had spare keys."

"For emergencies."

"But dearest heart, it was an emergency, a Christmas emergency!"

"Don't call me that," she hissed, but it lacked force when her stomach rumbled at the delicious smell of the food. "Will you leave if I have dinner with you?"

"And open my present," he haggled.

"Fine, but I didn't get you anything." It wasn't altogether true. She'd gotten him a rather expensive sake set that had been hand painted to match his favorite haori, but she hadn't decided if she was going to give it to him or not yet. She'd wrapped it, but it was sitting tucked away in her closet, and she didn't think she should be rewarding bad behavior. "I'm going to go change out of my uniform."

"Into something more comfortable?" he asked wiggling his eyebrows at her as he reached to turn off an alarm that had started to buzz.

"Don't break anything," she said ignoring his innuendo.

"You wouldn't notice even if I did. Your kitchen looks practically unused and you had no food in the house," he chastised as she walked out. "You should have me over more often."

Once she'd switched into comfortable pants and a warm sweater she'd picked up the last time she was in the living world she shuffled back out into the kitchen. Kyouraku grinned at her and nudged the wine glass towards her again. She sighed. At this point there'd be no fighting him. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Nope, it's all almost ready. Just enjoy your wine and talk to me?"

"Talk about what?"

"Anything. How was your week?"

"You would know," she said leaning against the counter and taking a sip of her wine. "You were mostly there."

"You're not making this easy."

"I didn't invite you. What is Ukitake Taicho doing for the holiday?"

"Home with his siblings and nieces and nephews," Kyouraku answered with a fond smile. "He had one hell of a shopping list this season with the way his five brothers and two sisters have been having kids."

Nanao laughed. "Did you help him shop?"

"Of course, Nanao-chan. There's nothing I like shopping for more than toys and games. His nieces and nephews are going to be delighted this year."

"Hopefully he'll bring back pictures," she said with a warm smile. "I wish he'd find someone to settle down with. He's so good with the children."

"He's not really looking," Kyouraku said lifting a pot off a burner and flicking it off. "Grab a plate, Nanao-chan. It's going to be serve yourself."

"There are plenty of women who would want to be with him despite his illness," Nanao said reaching for plates as he set out all the various dishes on the counter. She started loading up her plate and he followed behind her making up his own. "He really shouldn't limit himself on account of it."

"You know Jyuu-chan. He's not the type that likes to be looked after and he'd feel guilty if he made a girlfriend or a wife do it all the time."

"I know," she sighed. "It's just a pity. He'd be a wonderful father, and I know he'd like to be one."

"Maybe there's a woman out there who will convince him one day that he's worth the trouble," Kyouraku said settling down across from her at the table. "Got any interested friends?"

"I know a few who would probably volunteer if he'd look at them twice," she said with a laugh. "You should start forcing him on double dates. Maybe he'll just get married to get you to leave him alone. You're quite incorrigible when you set your sights on something." She glanced down at her food. "Case in point." Not that she could complain. The food was as she expected delectable.

"You let me know when you want to go and what friend you want to bring and I'll set it up."

"You want me to date Ukitake Taicho?" she asked dryly.

"Very funny, Nanao-chan. You do like to wound your sweet Taicho."

"Going on one date with you was quite enough, thanks."

"Hey," he said pointing his fork at her. "You were the one who made me buy that date, and it was fun."

"That dating auction was definitely not my idea," she defended. "The SWA is somewhat more uncontrollable than even you. Matsumoto-san is lobbying hard for kissing booth fundraiser in February. I keep thinking I have her beat and then somehow it'll pop up on the agenda all over again."

"I think that sounds delightful. I'd definitely attend."

She shook her head at him. "Kissing booths are at best unhygienic and at worst a chaste form of prostitution. I know I personally would take no pleasure in sitting there for a two hour stint kissing whoever has the money for it. That's how you wind up with Omaeda's or Iba's spit in your mouth."

"Gross, Nanao-chan. Don't ruin the meal."

"Point made," she said with a shrug.

"I'd just purchase the full two hours from you. Problem solved."

"First and foremost that would be highly inappropriate. Secondly who wants to spend two hours just kissing regardless of who the other person is? You're going to get bored and chapped eventually."

"We could do other things too," he offered with a salacious wink.

"I should really write you up to the 1st," she said shaking her head. "If only to make you sit through the Soutaicho's lecture on sexual harassment. It'd probably be another hollow metaphor."

Kyouraku laughed at that. "He wouldn't even bother at this point. He'd probably just ask you if you wanted to transfer."

"It'd serve you right if I took him up on it. I could transfer to the 13th and set about finding Ukitake Taicho a nice wife."

"Except you'd feel bad when they disband the 8th and I have to transfer to the 13th too. You can't shake me."

"Fine, I'd just tell on you to your mother."

He flinched at that. "Nanao-chan would never be so cruel to her Shunsui-chan."

"Try me." She laughed at his horrified look and they spent the rest of dinner chatting and joking.

"Give me your plate and I'll wash up," he offered an hour later as they lingered at the table next to their finished dinners.

"Leave it," she said with a yawn. "I'll handle it in the morning." He looked like he was going to argue and she cut him off. "You cooked. It's only fair. Now give me my present and get out. You're family will be wanting you."

"They don't expect me till tomorrow," he said with a shrug. "Go get your coat."

"Why?" she asked instantly more alert.

"We have to go somewhere for your present."

"Kyouraku Taicho," she sighed. She was not in the mood to go out into the cold for some silly game.

"Trust me," he said and he made the puppy dog eyes that were next to impossible to fight.

"This better not take long," she conceded getting to her feet to go bundle up. He met her at the door in his own winter wear with a bag over his shoulder and holding a thermos and a brightly wrapped box. She narrowed her eyes at the thermos. How long was he planning on being outside exactly?

"Trust me," he repeated. She saw his eyes slip to the small parcel she was carrying and she blushed slightly.

"I had it laying around," she defended brushing past him before letting him exit and locking the door behind them. "Also those keys will be returned to Matsumoto-san or I will burn your sake stash."

"Of course, Nanao-chan. Follow me." He took off into a shunpo and she shivered once in the cold night air before bounding off after him. They were going in the direction of his family's home and she was going to dig her heels in harder than a mule if he thought he was going to drag her into that house. They bypassed the house and kept going though and she followed behind him suspiciously. They finally stopped next to a frozen lake in the middle of a forest.

Kyouraku dropped his items and walked over to a small kido lamp on the edge of the shore. He lit the lamp with a clear crystal flame and connected lamps flickered to life around the perimeter of the lake, bathing the whole landscape in a soft white-blue light.

He turned around to look at her proudly and she kept her arms crossed but conceded, "It's beautiful. Although I still don't know why we couldn't exchange gifts in my nice warm house."

He chuckled at her forced disinterest. "This lake is on the edge of the Kyouraku lands. Jyuushiro and I used to come here all the time as kids. It's one of my favorite places. Open your gift, Nanao-chan." He handed her the package and she flicked her eyes to his face for a hint before tearing the paper off cleanly. She opened the box to find a pair of ice skates inside.

"They're very nice, but I don't know how to skate, Taicho," she said simply.

"I'll teach you," he said easily as he pulled his own skates out of his bag. "It's easy. You'll love it."

"Taicho."

"Trust me. If you hate it you can take them off and go straight home. I'll even let you chuck the skates at my head if it pleases you."

Nanao glanced at the pristine quiet scene again and back to his hopeful face. "Fine," she said in a frozen puff of air. "But if I fall and break something you're leading all the sword play classes for a month."

"Deal," he said eagerly slipping his own skates on before helping her lace up hers. He offered her a hand and tugged her to her feet helping her navigate her way to the ice.

The moment her skates touched the ice they almost went out from under her and only his firm hands on her elbows kept her upright. "Easy there. Nice and slow." He let her catch her balance before skating backwards in front of her to arm's reach and holding out his hands. She glared at him but slipped her own gloved hands into his, letting him skate backwards slowly as she got used to the forward motion. "See? Easy!" He released her hands to spin around to skate next to her and kept a light hand on her left elbow.

"Now what?" she asked sourly trying to cover her happiness. It actually was sort of fun.

"Just enjoy it, Nanao-chan," he said with a laugh. They circled the lake twice before she felt confident enough to brush off his guiding hand and try on her own. "You've got it," he cheered smiling. He skated up ahead of her and showed off with a quick figure eight out over the lake. She shook her head but enjoyed the feeling of gliding across the frozen lake. He zoomed off and lapped her once before returning to her side. "You're always a quick study. I knew you'd be fine."

They swept around the lake a few more times before a snowflake smacked her in the face and she laughed. "Don't tell me you planned snow too?"

He grinned at her and winked. "If I could have I would have. It's the heavens congratulating me on getting strict rule-abiding Nanao-chan to relax and spend Christmas Eve with me."

She ignored him and stopped to stare up into the swirling snow as it came down and made the whole world feel like a gentle snow globe. "You should bring your nieces and nephews here."

"I promised them tomorrow," he said. "As long as the snow doesn't get to deep."

"It isn't coming down that hard. They'll love it."

"You could come back too and skate with us if you wanted?"

"Not obvious at all," she said shooting him a smile over her shoulder and skating forward again more confidently. Her right foot rode over a bump in the ice and started to go out from under her. She braced herself for impact and found herself instead wrapped up in warm arms. She regained her balance and he released her slowly.

"Can't blame a guy for trying," he said. "Want to go fast?" She looked at him skeptically but allowed him to wrap his arm around her waist and keep her balanced as he whisked them around the ice. She was laughing and breathless as he spun them around back near the shore where they'd started. "Cold?"

"A little," she admitted.

"Wait here," he ordered looking like a child pleased that their art project was getting so much praise. He darted to the edge of the ice and made his way back to their things before skating back to her. "Hot chocolate?" he asked juggling the thermos and two mugs.

She laughed. "Tell me you had this planned earlier than this afternoon when I refused you again." All the same she held her hand out for a mug and let him pour the sweet drink in.

"A wise man always has a backup plan."

"And if I really had been meeting Matsumoto-san and Hinomaru-san?"

"I didn't think they'd be too hard to convince to come," he said with a shrug. "I'd have borrowed skates from my house. I think I could have even procured some spiked eggnog for Matsumoto-chan."

Nanao sipped her hot chocolate and smiled at him. "It really is a wonderful present. Thank you, Taicho."

"Speaking of presents." His eyes darted back to the shore where she'd left his gift.

"Oh no," she said reaching for his elbow to stop him. "It doesn't nearly match up to this. Ignore it and I'll have something better for you when you return from holiday."

"I don't care what it is," he pouted. "I just want my gift. Whatever Nanao-chan got me I will enjoy."

"What if its just a new pen for work?"

"I'll sign my name to paperwork with thoughts of Nanao-chan."

"Oh for goodness sakes. Go ahead then." She released his arm and he quickly thrust the thermos and his cup of cocoa in her hands before rushing off for the gift. He scooped it up and skated back out to her opening it as he went.

"Nanao-chan," he cooed. "I love it. But wherever did you find this particular pattern?"

She blushed lightly and hoped the darkness served to cover it up. "I had a picture of your haori and took it to a shop where they'll make custom sets."

"I thought you just had it lying around?"

She shrugged. "It really wasn't that much effort."

"It's perfect," he gushed. "I'll use it everyday."

"You shouldn't be drinking sake everyday," she chastised as she finished her hot chocolate. He smiled and threw his own cocoa back before taking everything back to the side of the lake and setting it down gently.

"Still want to skate some more?"

"I'd like that."

They headed back out on the lake and time drifted away until the cold really set in and neither of them could pretend it wasn't time to go in. Scooping up his new gift and switching back to their shoes they both shunpoed back to Nanao's home.

"Thank you for the lovely Christmas Eve dinner and present," Nanao said at her door.

"You're welcome, lovely Nanao-chan. Thank you for spending it with me and my new sake set."

"Merry Christmas, Taicho." She slipped inside as he wished her the same and smiled as she shut the door. It really was one of the better Christmas nights she'd had in years, not that she'd ever let him know that. It was still all highly unprofessional. Nanao slipped off her shoes and lifted one of her new skates out of the box as she wandered back towards her room. It really was a lovely gift. Perhaps she'd let him harass her into one more skating trip before the winter was over, or see if he'd allow the SWA to use the lake for an outing. She went to bed and dreamed of snow globes and ice dancing.

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><p><strong>AN: So this chapter didn't exist till yesterday. I got a request for Christmas content, got inspired, and couldn't help myself from writing some fluff. Hope you all enjoy it! Thank you all for the reviews, Arihimew, Hanaeko, 0Sam0, and liferscove2118! Hope you all are having wonderful holidays whatever you might celebrate!**


	12. Eight Years Later

Nanao was reading out loud. As long as she kept reading out loud and didn't focus on her surroundings she could keep it together and not break down again. After all it was one thing to break down in the privacy of your own home and quite another thing to break down in public, so she kept reading. The story was about true love with a bit of fantasy mixed in. Not to her normal tastes, but then the story wasn't for her. Nanao flipped the page and started in on the next chapter, her voice quiet but strong in the silent room. A machine beeped and Nanao tried not to think about what it meant. It went quiet and no one rushed into the room so she continued reading. This went on for a few more long minutes before she was interrupted.

"Nanao-chan," he said softly from the door. "Visiting hours are ending."

"You didn't have to stay, Taicho," she said grabbing her bookmark from the counter and slipping it into place.

"After more than 60 years together you'd think you'd stop arguing with me about walking you home. You know you never win."

"There's a first time for everything," she said with a shrug.

"Now is definitely not that time."

"I can take care of myself." She let herself sink into the warm familiarity of their normal banter as she stood and stretched from the uncomfortable seat.

"My Nanao-chan is very talented," he conceded, "but I'd rather assume Aizen might come back than assume we're safe and find my Nanao-chan missing."

Nanao touched her friend's hand as Momo lay unconscious in the 4th's bed. "Goodnight, Momo-chan," she said softly. "I'll come back and we'll finish the story tomorrow. Then when you wake up we can read something new. I think that new love story you wanted to read is coming out next week. I'll suffer through it, but just this once." Sighing she pulled away from the non-responsive girl and went to join Kyouraku at the doorway of the room. They walked down the hallway together in silence and exited into the warm evening air.

"You really don't have to walk me back," she said trying to start an inconsequential conversation and keep her thoughts away from all the horrible things that had happened in the past few days. "Even if Aizen or his followers come back to the Seireitei from Hueco Mundo I highly doubt they'd have any interest in me."

"Ah, but I've been neglectful and Nanao-chan has handled many Taicho level communications."

"Nothing that Aizen, Tousen, or Ichimaru wouldn't already know. They'd have no use for me. It's yourself you should be more worried about. Unlike me they might want to pick you off while they have an element of surprise."

"If they want to get to me, they'd go after my Nanao-chan," Kyouraku said with a shrug. "Men like Aizen go after the things people cherish most to break them."

She didn't bother to look at him for his seriousness. For all that Shunsui made ridiculous proclamations of love in front of other people he rarely said something he didn't mean when they were alone. He'd spent the past eleven years making sure she knew he loved her. Or that he at least truly believed he loved her. That she was entirely unprepared to process the fact or do anything about it was another matter entirely. At first it'd been too soon after Hashimoto. For all that that relationship hadn't been right for her she had cared about the man. Later as that pain started to fade away she hadn't believed him. Then she'd started to believe him and been terrified. Shunsui was not a man you made a half-assed commitment to, and a relationship with him had the potential to ruin everything she'd worked so hard to gain in her life. Even worse, if it didn't work out she couldn't see how she could stay in the Seireitei. As with so many things that involved this man it was an all or nothing situation. So far he'd respected her space and let her pretend not to know. She didn't have any misconceptions that it would last forever though. They walked in silence for another block and heard voices as they came up to an intersection.

"I don't know why they're bothering to keep her alive. She's as much a traitor as her Taicho," a man said.

"She was mind controlled," a woman defended. "You can't blame her for that. It's not like the other Taichos knew either."

"Yeah, but the Taichos were ready to fight him the second they found out he was a snake. I heard Hinamori Fukutaicho actually defended Aizen to a Taicho and begged Aizen to take her with him. Everyone knew she was in love with him, but he didn't even want her."

The rounded the corner and Kyouraku cleared his throat. Nanao kept her face steely and tried not to show how much she wanted to punch the loudmouth in the head. The man and woman startled and bowed their heads murmuring the proper greetings.

"I'm sure you have somewhere else to be," Kyouraku said calmly. The two turned to leave and Kyouraku called out to them again, "And do perhaps take rumors with a grain of salt. You wouldn't want to be falsely accusing anyone of anything as serious as treason." The man flushed and the two took off into the night. "You're going to lose a finger if you cut off all the circulation to them clenching your fist that hard," he noted dryly.

Nanao relaxed her hand and tried to calm herself down. "You shouldn't have let them off so easily. We could have at least put them on punishment cleaning duty for spreading nasty gossip about a Fukutaicho."

"They would have just taken it as proof they were on to something or been bitter and spread the rumor further as revenge," he said with a shrug. "Everyone is going to be suspicious of everyone for a while. It's how these things go. Momo-chan will get better and with time they'll forget."

"She didn't do anything wrong for them to forget," Nanao hissed.

"She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, Nanao-chan, sometimes that's enough. I know you're upset for your friend, but the best thing you can do is be there for her when she wakes up and trust her."

"It could have been me," she said quietly. The streets were eerily quiet with the new curfew creeping up on them. Taichos and Fukutaichos and authorized squads could still move around after curfew, but a strange hush had fallen over most of the streets.

"I know what you're thinking, Nanao-chan," he said tipping his head back to look at the darkening sky. "But I don't think it would have been. Even if you had stayed in the 5th all those years ago instead of becoming my Fukutaicho I don't think you'd have been like Momo-chan."

"I never noticed anything that off about Aizen either," she said. "I wouldn't have known. I'd have been his dedicated Fukutaicho when Ichimaru got promoted if I'd stayed."

"I've been thinking about that actually. I think it may be why he transferred you."

"What? He didn't transfer me," she said scrunching her face as she tried to remember.

"No, that would have raised too many questions, but he did put your name in for consideration when I needed a new Fukutaicho. I'd always wondered why he did it. He didn't have any particular affection for me. There was no reason to sacrifice a capable 3rd seat who hadn't already sought promotion and wasn't unhappy."

"So you're saying he didn't have a use for me in his plans? I was useless and so he discarded me."

"Nanao-chan, you're always so quick to twist a comment into an insult," he said with a chuckle. "I think he knew he wouldn't be able to use you. That if you were going to be a part of his plan he'd have had to let you in on the plan completely and I don't think he thought you'd betray us all. I think he also knew you wouldn't give him blind devotion like Momo-chan. He needed someone he could manipulate. You were not that person. It didn't make sense when you first came to me, but it does now. You'd never follow a traitor, and you were smart enough to start figuring things out if you were kept too close."

"That's not really true though is it?" she asked wrapping her arms around herself as they walked. "I followed you, didn't I?"

"What do you mean by that?" he asked grabbing her elbow lightly to stop her and turn her to face him.

"They don't gossip about us because everything that happened after overwhelmed it," she said staring at her feet, "But we're just as much traitors as they are. You and Ukitake Taicho stopped the execution and stood up to the Soutaicho. And I, I followed without a second thought."

"Nanao-chan, that was different."

"No it wasn't," she cut him off. "You didn't tell me you were stopping the execution. Didn't let me in on that little plan because you knew it was treason and didn't want me involved, isn't that right?"

"We were saving a life."

"The life of a girl who had been declared traitor. If Aizen hadn't revealed himself we'd be dead. I knew that when you went to fight the Soutaicho. I knew the consequences. It never crossed my mind not to follow, not to defend you, not to be at your side, traitor or not. Not that I was any help, but I followed you just as blindly as Momo-chan did Aizen. I think perhaps he was very wrong about me."

She felt a warm calloused palm on her cheek and he gently lifted her chin to meet his eyes. They were serious and soft under his hat. "We're different, Nanao-chan."

"Only in that you aren't a psychopath." He quirked an eyebrow at her and she gave a soft snort. "Correction, you aren't a psychopath who wants to overthrow the Gotei 13 and kill all of our friends."

"We're different because the only thing that mattered to Aizen was power, and the only thing that matters to me is the people I love. You don't follow me blindly, Nanao-chan. You question my every move, sometimes violently, and I value your counsel even if you are often wrong." She glared at him and he laughed full and deep. "Don't take it that way. You are very young."

"I'm not the one that gives myself raging hangovers or gets burnt falling asleep in the sun."

"We're different because you followed me because you believed it was the right course of action, because you didn't think that girl was guilty either, and you can pretend all you want that it was blind faith, but you followed your own moral compass. You always have, and if that compass happens to point in the same direction as mine there's nothing so wrong with that, is there? Beyond all that I'd prefer in the future if you didn't follow me into those fights."

"Because I was useless?" she asked pulling away from his warm hand.

"There you go again, twisting comments into insults. Because I don't want you to get hurt and the Soutaicho is the Soutaicho for a reason. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Two of the most powerful Taichos in the Gotei 13 were going to fight him together and you are embarrassed that when he leveled his full attention on you you weren't able to stand up against it? Nanao-chan, that you stood at all was enough. I would have whisked you away the second you touched down behind us if I thought he'd seriously go after you. I was hoping we could talk him out of that particular fight or at least keep it civil."

"I am supposed to be able to defend you, to help you."

"We have a few thousand years on you," he said calmly. "This is a silly thing to beat yourself up over."

"I'm a liability."

"No more so than any other Fukutaicho has ever been."

"More so if you say you love me," she spat angrily and started to stalk towards her home again. She was angry now at everything. At Aizen and the other Taichos. At Momo laying in that bed. At the Soutaicho and most of all her own limitations.

A flash of pink and he was once again standing in her path. "Love is not a liability."

"It is in our line of work," she said sidestepping him. She didn't want to have this conversation. She'd broken one of her own rules acknowledging his feelings on any level. "Didn't you once try to cripple your entire division to keep them out of the fight because you loved them?"

"And I learned an important lesson," he said softly shunpoing in front of her once again. "If the love might be brief, if you can't possibly protect it all the time, then love harder and better than anyone else. Love is a gift in our line of work. Rare and sometimes fleeting. It's something to be cherished for as long as you can."

"Is that why you love so often?" she asked nastily. They were getting too close to things she didn't want to discuss. Especially not now.

"It is why I'm so persistent when I do find love," he said not rising to her bait. He gently touched her cheek once more and turned her eyes to meet his. "It's why I'm so persistent with you."

"The entire Gotei 13 has been torn apart, and you want to talk about love?" she asked trying to sound as annoyed as possible.

"I believe you actually brought up the subject, Nanao-chan."

"Well then I'm taking it back off the table." She glared as she skirted around him once more and continued the journey home. She tried to remember what she'd been so angry about in the first place. He had a talent for getting her off-topic and twisted up. "I just want to go home and rest. Tomorrow is going to be another long day."

"Of course," he said letting the subject drop. "But only because you get up so early. Sleep later and the day will be shorter."

"I'll take that under advisement, sir," she said with a snort. The rest of the walk was comfortable silence until he said goodbye to her at her door. Nanao went inside and waited until she felt her Taicho's reiatsu reach his own home. She gave it twenty more minutes just to be safe and masked her own reiatsu as best she could before slipping out the door and into the night.

She'd only gone to this door once before many years ago and with Yadomaru Fukutaicho at her side. She'd been offered a position within the Kido Corps, and though she had adamantly stated she wanted to remain in the 8th, Yadomaru had said she should at least check it out so she wouldn't regret refusing in the future. Seeing Nanao struggle to hide her dejected face, Yadomaru had been sure to clarify that she in no way wanted Nanao to leave. She'd even thought the Kido Corps would be a horribly restricting place for Nanao and that she could do so much more at the 8th, but she'd said that curiosity should always be indulged and that Nanao would regret it later if she didn't at least investigate. Nanao had ultimately gone with Yadomaru to the recruitment station which was the only known place the Kido Corps worked out of, and even that known to very few, as they were so secretive. The man who had met them there, in his face coverings and his eerily quiet way of moving and talking, had terrified her though she'd done her best to hide it. He'd spoken obliquely of the kido knowledge and opportunities she could gain with the Corps and she and Yadomaru had left an hour later with little more information than she'd started with. She'd had nightmares of masked men dragging her into dark tunnels for weeks afterwards. Needless to say she hadn't joined.

Now Nanao knocked on that same door decades later and waited. It was nearly an hour later before a woman in the standard issue Kido Corps uniform and face covering opened the door and motioned her silently inside.

Nanao followed and sat at the table, which was the only furnishing inside the small room she remembered so vividly from her nightmares. Now it seemed less scary and more depressing. She didn't regret refusing them all those years ago. Not that she had escaped the shadows, but at least the shadow she'd chosen had a touch of pink to it.

The woman sat silently across from her and Nanao realized she was waiting for her to speak, to show her hand first. Her Taicho used the same tactic often, though few seemed to realize it. People loved him because he would let you do all the talking if you wished. He'd act loud and drunk and fun and let people just pour out their secrets to him. It had always fascinated her how willing people were to share all types of things with her Taicho. She, on the other hand, was more than comfortable letting the silence stretch until he was forced to harass her and tease her in the hopes of getting anything out of her. She gave the woman across from her a vicious little smile and settled in.

After nearly another hour of silence a man in similar face coverings appeared at her side. He'd been quick, but from the corner of her eye she'd seen the secret back entrance he'd come from. Perhaps Kyouraku should have joined the Kido Corps. If nothing else he'd have loved their flair for the dramatic. She couldn't believe she'd let this place scare her all those years ago.

"Ise-Fukutaicho," the man greeted with a short bow. "Is there something you want?"

"I would like to speak to the Kido Corps Commander," she stated firmly.

"The Commander does not indulge Fukutaicho's requests."

"I am aware of that, however I think I may have an offer he would be interested in."

"You are thinking about joining the Kido Corps?"

Nanao smiled internally. So she was right and they were interested in her still after so many years. It must have driven them mad that she'd been allowed to refuse as a child because of who her Taicho was. She'd been smart enough to hide her talent after that for many years and make them think she'd burned out like many young talented kido artists did as they aged and reached their limitations. Then when she'd once again revealed her expertise she'd been back under the command of the one man who could simply tell the Soutaicho no and get away with it.

"I would like to speak to the Kido Corps Commander," she repeated calmly.

"You may tell me your request and I will pass it along."

"I will only state my request to the Commander."

"The Commander will not come."

"Then I shall be going." She stood to leave and was stopped by another presence entering the room. Turning her head slightly she bowed as she acknowledged the Kido Corps Commander.

"You're dismissed," he said in a tone that booked no argument and his subordinates hurried to leave. "What are you doing here Ise Fukutaicho?"

"I have a deal to offer you," she said turning to face him fully. He stayed silent and this time she did not compete. "I have a skill set that is valuable to the Corps."

"We are all aware of that. Are you looking to transfer from your division?"

"No," she said firmly.

"Then I'm not sure why I had to get out of bed to deal with this."

"I am good at making spells. I'm sure you've seen the ones I've submitted for approval. I am not too shy to say I have a unique gift for it."

"No one will argue your talents Ise Fukutaicho. What does it have to do with us if you will not join?"

"I have something you want. I can help with the Corps' own spell crafting, share the spells I haven't wanted to share before, work on projects of your devising if needed."

"And what would you want in return?"

"Further training. I have reached a point where my power level can't progress without someone who is better than me to train me. I can craft new spells all I want, but they will be limited within my own power structure. I need more advanced techniques and studies."

"Join the Corps and you shall have it all."

She shook her head. "I will not leave my Taicho's side."

"Then this conversation is at its end. We do not share our secrets with outsiders."

"Isn't it better to be able to harness some of my talent then none at all?"

"Why this request now? It wouldn't have anything to do with being roundly defeated by the Soutaicho?"

"My duty is to assist my Taicho. If I cannot do this then it is my duty to train and be better. Unfortunately my training can only come from the Kido Corps."

"Then join."

"Joining defeats the purpose of my training. I don't want to protect you. I want to protect him."

"And yet if you stay with him you shall never achieve this goal."

She shrugged. "It would be better if I could keep him safe through kido, but if I can only stay at his side as I am than I shall do my best, and when the time comes I can at least block a sword and create an opening."

"He will not thank you for that."

"But he will live."

Silence followed and she once again let it play out. Finally the man sighed. "You will work on projects of my choosing, and if I do not find your skills worthwhile the deal is off. There will be a two-week trial period where you will prove your worth. You will never speak of your work with us and other than telling your Taicho, which I fear cannot be avoided, you will never speak of your association with us. Your training will be conducted with the Vice Kido Chief at the time and place of our choosing. Is all of that clear?"

"Yes, sir," she said bowing.

"Leave and we will contact you when we are ready."

"As you wish, sir," she agreed. Bowing once more she exited the building and shunpoed home. Whatever it cost her would be worth it to stand by her Taicho's side. Her Taicho was wrong. She was just as bad as Hinomori-chan, she'd just fallen in love with a better man. She landed outside her door and was startled as a shadow detached itself from the others lingering outside the street lamp.

"Are you planning to transfer?" he asked quietly.

The Kido Corps Commander had at least been right about that. There was no hiding things from her Taicho. "No, just the opposite, sir."

"Care to explain why you're sneaking off to them in the middle of the night then?" he asked, but there was no anger in his tone. Sometimes she thought he still hoped she would leave him so he wouldn't be responsible for anything bad that happened to her.

"Care to explain why you're monitoring my reiatsu so closely?" she threw back as she unlocked her door. "Would you like some tea?" He shrugged but followed her in all the same.

"You were upset," he said finally as he slipped off his shoes in her entryway. "I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm fine, Taicho," she answered letting him trail behind her into her small kitchen. "I went to them to request training."

"And they agreed?" he asked with a lifted eyebrow. "What was the price?"

"I'm a very good spell crafter. They want me to work on some projects for them."

"Their projects can be dangerous. Men have come out worse from the Kido Corps than the 12th."

"I'm aware of that, Taicho. All the same I needed something to offer if I was going to get the training I require."

"Is this about the fight?"

"Yes and no. Just as you want to protect me I want to protect you. Have you never taken risks to get better?"

"Of course I have," he said with a sigh. "It doesn't change that I would prefer you not have to." He sat down heavily at her table resting his elbows on top of it in defeat. "I can't stop you, can I?"

"No, but I will do my best to be as safe as I can be," she said coming to his side and resting her hand on his shoulder. He captured it for a moment between his shoulder and his cheek and then turned his head and placed a small kiss on the back of her hand. She didn't reprimand him but slipped away to start the tea.

"Nanao-chan, will you promise me something?"

"Depends on how perverted it is," she said trying to lighten the atmosphere.

He grinned at her quickly, but it faded just as fast. "If it gets to be too much, you'll let me know. I know you probably won't be able to tell me much, but know there is always a way out."

"Of course."

"No, I want you to listen to me and really hear me," he said standing up and coming to her side to cup her face with his hands and make sure her attention was on him. "I've done some terrible things in the name of getting stronger. At the time they seemed right and like the only thing to be done, but looking back I sometimes wonder if the skills and power I achieved through my actions were worth it or if they could have been gained by some other path. Don't let your drive blind you."

"Shunsui," she said quietly and felt him react to his name minutely. She hadn't given him that intimacy in many years. "I'll be safe, I promise, and if I need help I'll come to you."

"That's all I ask," he said softly releasing her face to pull her into a hug. She allowed it to happen and sighed at how she fit against him. She shouldn't love her Taicho. It wasn't safe, and it certainly wasn't professional, but she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to stop. Now was not the time to admit it though. They had a war to win.

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><p><strong>AN: Manga time frame in full gear :) Thank you Arihimew, Mondtanz, and liferscove2118 for the reviews on the last chapter of shameless fluff.**


	13. Three Months Later

Nanao was exhausted. She would have thought it would be less tiring to stay behind during the Winter War, but she wasn't sure that was the case. Between helping with the kido behind the pillars, keeping the Gotei 13 up and running while everyone was away, and simply worrying like mad, she'd never felt more tired. She knew it was best that she'd stayed behind. They'd needed someone to do all the tactical things behind the scenes and her kido was more useful supporting this time. When her Taicho had asked her she hadn't put up much of a fight, but it didn't make it any easier to watch all of your friends go to war and know you couldn't fight directly beside them. It'd been even harder to feel Kyouraku get hurt through his reiatsu and know that she couldn't go to his side. They were lucky the Vizards showed up when they did.

Nanao had seen Lisa in passing as they brought the hurt back through to Soul Society, but had been too busy dealing with everything that needed to get done after the war to do any more than check to make sure Kyouraku and her friends would live and then go back to helping with Karakura's transition and making sure the divisions were operating as they should be without any real oversight from Taichos and Fukutaichos.

It'd been two days since then and it was the first time she could break away to visit Kyouraku during actual visiting hours. She'd come in the night to check on him, but he'd always been sleeping and she'd stayed just long enough to assure herself of his wellbeing before the siren call of her own bed took her home.

"Ise Fukutaicho, it is good to see you."

"Unohana Taicho," she greeted. "How is he?"

"Awake and a nuisance."

"He generally is when he's awake," Nanao said with a slight smile at the serene Taicho.

"If you are willing to look after him for the next few days he may go home now with you," Unohana said. It was not unusual for either of them to check out early from the 4th in the care of the other. Kyouraku just hated being in the 4th more than anything, and Nanao had trouble staying still and doing nothing when she could be working. Over the years they'd worked out a system where she'd coddle him in his home when he was injured to spare the 4th the suffering, and when she was injured he'd take her home and ply her with books while he did the 8th's paperwork generally sprawled across her floor so that she'd actually rest.

"Of course," she said and smiled again to see the flicker of relief on Unohana's otherwise unreadable face. "Would you like me to take Ukitake Taicho too if he's well enough?"

"His third seats already picked him up this morning. Besides he never gives us any problems. You'll find Kyouraku-san three doors down on the left."

She thanked Unohana and made her way down the hallway. Perhaps she ought to take him out to Ukitake's place. She still had a lot of work to do and wouldn't be able to get it all done from his home with him bothering her, and if she left him alone he'd get into trouble. He'd be much more manageable if he was worried about Ukitake's health. If that didn't work she could always threaten to take him to his mother's.

She slid the door open without knocking and felt the breath go out of her when she found her doppelganger already sitting on the edge of Kyouraku's bed pressing a wayward strand of hair out of his face. Both of them turned to look at the intrusion and Nanao fought down a blush.

"Sorry, I didn't realize you had company," she said with a quick bow. "Yadomaru-san, it is good to see you up and well. I'll let you two finish. I'll come back in an hour, if that's alright?" Not waiting for an answer she stepped back, slid the door shut again, and retreated to the 4th's garden.

Taking a moment to steady herself Nanao tried to get a grip and settle her emotions. It was stupid anyway. She'd known things were going to change when she'd laid eyes on the Vizards.

Really she was happy to have them back, and most of all glad that Yadomaru-san was doing well. It was just difficult now. At least she'd never said her feelings out loud to him. It gave them both an out now that Yadomaru was back. It was better this way.

Nanao sighed and took a seat on a nearby bench. Tilting her face back toward the sun she took a moment to rest her eyes. She really was tired. Maybe Yadomaru-san would be staying with her Taicho, in which case she would go home directly and sleep. Really that'd be better for her than taking care of him while he complained and asked her to snuggle his pain away. It's not like she enjoyed taking care of him when he was being a big baby. Let Yadomaru-san do it. It was fine. She'd go home and sleep.

"Nanao-chan?"

Her eyes snapped open, only to startle all over again when she found Yadomaru-san bending over her and her face a few inches from her own. She was lucky she didn't fall off the bench. "Yadomaru-san," she greeted as she scooted around the woman and stood up to give her a formal bow.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" Yadomaru asked with a raised eyebrow. "Especially one who's lap you used to sit and read in?"

Nanao tried again. "Yadomaru-san, it is good to see you doing so well. All of the 8th is anxious to see you."

"Not what I meant, Nanao-chan," Yadomaru said with a grin. "You used to greet me with a hug."

"And as you already pointed out I used to sit in your lap too, and I don't plan on doing that either."

"I wouldn't object," Yadomaru said with a salacious wink, and it was so like Kyouraku that Nanao couldn't help bursting into laughter. Yadomaru mock glared and it only made her laugh harder.

"It's a wonder you and Kyouraku Taicho ever managed to get any work done between all the flirting," Nanao commented with a smile.

"My threats held a good punch," Yadomaru said with a smile. "I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to drag him by the short hairs."

"Probably more effective than a book to the face," Nanao admitted.

"Yes, well Shunsui always has been deeply motivated by his dick," Yadomaru agreed with a laugh and a shrug.

Nanao gave her a warm and genuine smile. As a girl Yadomaru's crudeness had often shocked her, but at the same time she'd liked the Fukutaicho all the more for not treating her like a small child. Lisa was Lisa no matter who she was speaking to.

"A hug, Nanao-chan? Is it really so much to ask?" The woman held out her arms and pouted at her. Nanao snorted and shook her head, but finally stepped into the woman's waiting arms returning her hug. "Not so hard was it?" Then Lisa's hand slipped down and pinched her ass and Nanao laughed and pushed her away.

"You and Kyouraku Taicho really are a match in every way," she teased and ignored the pressure the truth caused in her chest. "Give you an inch and you take a mile."

"I could never hold myself back with a beautiful woman," Lisa replied with a grin. "I think Shunsui was always jealous of how much more successful I was than him with men and women. And which way do you swing, lovely Nanao-chan?"

"Men," Nanao laughed. "But if I ever want to experiment you'll be on the top of the list."

"Of course I will be," Lisa said as if it was universally accepted that she should be on the top of any such list. "Now," she started taking Nanao's arm, "You and I are going to go find something to eat and you're going to tell me all about your life and how you had the misfortune of becoming that ingrate's Fukutaicho."

"Oh, but Kyouraku Taicho," Nanao said trying to dig in her heels.

"Nonsense, he'll be stuck in the 4th for days. Now is that little noodle place in the 1st we used to go to still open? What was its name again?

"Nanao-san," a voice called out behind them. "Are you leaving? I thought you were taking Kyouraku Taicho?"

"Isane-san," Nanao greeted as Lisa released her arm.

"Why would you be taking him?"

"Are you not?" Isane asked with a hint of panic in her voice. "Unohana Taicho said you were. He's already gotten one orderly drunk in the last few minutes, which I didn't think was possible, and he sent his lunch back five times today requesting different food."

"Yes, of course," Nanao said. "Sorry he's been such a pain."

"He's always a pain when he's injured or sick," Lisa said butting in. "Since when has that gotten him out of the 4th?"

"Well," Isane answered looking nervous, "Nanao-san usually takes him home and sees to him for the last few days of treatment as she has such excellent kido and can continue the basic medical treatments. It's easier for everyone."

"It sure as hell can't be easier for her," Lisa pointed out. "Your entire division can't handle him, but you expect her to give up her free time and do it? The 4th has really gone down hill since my day."

Isane looked offended and Nanao stepped in. "No, it's really ok. I always take him home when I can. It's normal. It's not something the 4th requested of me."

"How in the hell did the old pervert trick you into that? He certainly never would have talked me into that."

"It's easier for everyone," Nanao reiterated with a shrug moving back towards the 4th. "I hate staying in the 4th too, so whenever I'm injured he returns the favor."

"I'll bet he does," Lisa said with a snort. "Well come on then, let's get the old bastard, and then you and I can grab food and have that talk." She pushed past Nanao back into the 4th.

Nanao shot Isane an apologetic look and hurried after Lisa. By the time she got to Kyouraku's room Lisa was already trying to drag him out of bed and he was complaining harshly.

"Lisa-chan, that hurts!" he shouted as Lisa got a shoulder into his chest trying to prop him up and force him to move.

"Don't be such a baby," Lisa said wrenching on his arm again.

"Nanao-chan," he whined and pouted, catching sight of her at the door. "Help me. She's going to kill me."

Lisa smacked him over the back of the head. "Don't burden her further. I can't believe you force her to nurse you. I should have come back here and stolen her at some point in the last hundred years. She deserves better than you."

Nanao tried to stifle it, but quickly found herself dissolving into giggles as she leaned against the doorframe for support. It was just so good to see them together and fighting again. She hadn't even realized she'd missed them as a pair as much as she had. Even if they were together again in the other sense, she'd be alright just having both of them as friends and in her life again. She was brave enough to admit that it would hurt to lose that possibility of a romantic relationship with him, but at least her two friends would both be happy and alive.

"Yare, Nanao-chan, it isn't funny, she's really hurting me. She's not delicate at all," he cried out again, but he couldn't hide his general good mood. Lisa growled and jabbed an elbow into his gut.

He folded forward overdramatically and Nanao finally moved to his other side and got his arm around her shoulders before helping him fully out of the bed. "Be a little kinder please, Yadomaru-san. I'll have to fix anything you break and that would be a nuisance."

"Cruel, Nanao-chan."

"Stop pouting," Lisa ordered. "She's taking you home isn't she? I'd have left you here and gone out drinking with cute Nanao-chan."

"But Nanao-chan wouldn't abandon me."

"She was going to, trust me I would have convinced her, but that Fukutaicho begged her to take you off her hands," Lisa argued, "and now we're here wasting time wrestling with you."

"Is this what you call wrestling, Lisa-chan?" he asked with a leer as Nanao steadied him against Lisa and went to collect his hat and pink haori from the nearby chair. "The wrestling I imagined with the two of you was much more pleasant than this."

Nanao draped the pink monstrosity over his shoulders and plopped the hat on his head rather roughly before slipping back under his arm. "That's completely inappropriate, Taicho."

"Besides whoever said you were invited to our wrestling matches?" Lisa put in. "Nanao-chan and I don't need you."

"That's also inappropriate, Yadomaru-san," Nanao said with a sigh and a shake of her head as they helped him to the door. Yadomaru and Kyouraku continued to squabble as they made their way to his home, but Nanao got more worried with every step. He was hiding it gamely, but she could tell he was in a lot of pain just by the way he leaned on her more than usual. She sent a slight numbing kido through his body and felt him relax minutely. He shot her a smile and gave her shoulder a light squeeze before going back to his argument with Lisa.

They got to his front door and Lisa pushed it open. "Still not locking your doors, idiot?"

"Why would I lock them and keep all the beautiful women out?" he asked with a smile, but Nanao saw the wince as he started to lean down to take off his sandals. She pushed his shoulder to stop him from bending down further and leaned down to help him slip them off.

"The only beautiful women who ever come through your doors are irate Fukutaichos," Lisa argued. "You'd think it'd be even more of a reason to lock them."

They started shuffling down his hallway to his bedroom and Lisa started turning to the left. "It's to the right now," Nanao corrected. Lisa raised an eyebrow and Nanao blushed and rushed to explain. "One of his parties got out of control about a decade ago and the room caught fire so he moved into the guest room during construction."

"Found out that room gets less light early in the morning," Shunsui supplied. "Let's me sleep in longer so I just decided to make it my bedroom. Built an extension on the house so it has a master bath attached now."

"Do I even want to know how the fire got started?"

"No," Nanao said with a laugh. "You really don't. I wish I didn't know."

"It was a good game," Shunsui defended.

"Drunk naked Twister is not a good game," Nanao said with a glare. "Especially not when lit by old school lamps."

"But it made everyone more comfortable," Shunsui pouted as Lisa laughed. "Everyone looks better by lamp light. If you'd come to the party you probably could have prevented the fire."

"Yes, because I'd have kicked everyone out hours before it happened," she said harshly as she helped him lower himself to the bed. Lisa moved to his closet and pulled out a sleeping yukuta for him.

"Need help changing?" Lisa asked with a smirk.

"You know it," he flirted back.

Nanao felt uncomfortable all over again and started backing out of the room. "I'm going to go to my house and get a few things together. I'll be back shortly."

"But Nanao-chan I need two people to dress me," he called after her as she fled. "I have two arms and legs after all! One person is not sufficient!"

She really was happy they had found each other again, but it was one thing to know they were together and another to watch it in action. It was weird to feel happy and hurt at the same time. He'd never really been hers though, so she certainly wasn't going to play the spurned lover, not when Lisa had always had more claim than her anyway. She packed her things quickly and made her way back to his home, surprised to find Lisa drinking on his porch.

"Are you staying?" Nanao asked. "I didn't mean to intrude. If you've got him I can just head home."

"You can't pawn his care off on me," Lisa said with a snort. "I was never dumb enough to make this agreement with him. No, I stayed because I figured we could go out and talk once you dropped your things."

"Nanao-chan," came a plaintive cry through the house.

Nanao rolled her eyes. "If we leave him here on his own he'll get into trouble."

Lisa frowned. "This is a little above and beyond the call of duty. You can't let him take over your life, Nanao-chan."

"I really don't mind when he's actually hurt," she said quietly. He called for her again and she smiled. "He's a baby, but it's easier to manage him now than let him mess up his wounds again by leaving him to his own devices. If you can stay though I'll make dinner for the three of us?"

"You cook too, Nanao-chan?"

"Barely," she admitted, "But I can make a few simple meals when necessary. Kyouraku Taicho's the better cook of the two of us." He called out again. "I'm coming, calm down!"

"Lisa-chan said she was going to convince you to leave me here," he yelled back.

"And have to clean up the mess you'd make of yourself in the morning? Absolutely not. Stay where you are. I'll make dinner."

"And sake?" he called hopefully.

"Only for Yadomaru-san." Nanao moved into the house with Lisa trailing her.

"Why only Lisa-chan?"

"She wasn't stupid in the war and didn't get as injured as you!"

"But I fought so hard just to get back to my Nanao-chan faster. You can't blame me for that."

"Rest, Taicho," she called exasperatedly dropping her things in the guest room. "This is a fight you won't win." She looked over her shoulder to see Lisa leaning against the doorframe watching her.

"I hope they pay you overtime."

Nanao laughed and headed to the kitchen. "I'm used to it by now." She spent the next twenty minutes pulling together a quick dinner as Lisa sat in the kitchen and chatted idly with her and Kyouraku annoyed her with plaintive cries from the bedroom. She took a tray into him when it was done and left him with a threat to finish all his food as she ignored his pleas to join him and headed back out to the porch to eat with Lisa.

"He's gotten worse," Lisa commented as she sat. "You baby him too much."

Nanao shrugged. "If you want the position back to do it right, you just let me know." Nanao tried to stay relaxed as she offered it out. A lot hinged on the answer. If Lisa wanted her position back who was she to stand in her way? She wasn't sure what she'd do with herself, but she'd prefer a straight answer now than spending any more days agonizing over it.

"Ha! Never. I'm free of his whining and the paperwork, why would I want that back?" Nanao relaxed and picked at her food. "I just think you shouldn't have to be his babysitter. I certainly wasn't. You're allowed to have a life Nanao-chan. The other Fukutaichos do and I definitely did."

"I have a life," she said with a shrug. "He just happens to be a good portion of it."

"He doesn't have the right to monopolize your time just because I wasn't here to tell him he wasn't allowed to," she groused.

"Nanao-chan!"

"Do you ever stop?" Lisa yelled. "She's having a conversation and you're not invited!"

"Taicho, if you are out of your room and you didn't finish your dinner, you're going to regret it," Nanao said icily trying to determine where his voice was coming from.

"But my stomach's upset, Nanao-chan," he whined sticking his head around the doorway and pouting. "And I'm bored and lonely, and you and Lisa-chan are out here drinking and having a good time without me."

"That kido they used for your arm might be causing the stomach ache," Nanao said with a frown. "I could try a different kido to try and counteract it."

"It's fine. I'm not hungry," he said, "Just lonely."

"Go to bed or I'll knock your head in," Lisa stood up and threatened. "Nanao-chan has done quite enough for you today." Kyouraku crouched down and whimpered.

"It's fine," Nanao said stopping the chaos that was building. "Kyouraku Taicho you can stay out here with us, but only on the condition that you rest and stop complaining. If you complain one more time I'll let Yadomaru-san drag you to bed and knock your lights out."

He scooted out on to the porch and over to her side quickly, sticking his tongue out at Lisa as he went. Lisa glared at him, but sat back down pouring a bigger glass of sake. Shunsui laid down beside Nanao and dropped his head into her lap. Nanao sighed but didn't protest it, lifting her plate above him to finish her meal.

"So tell me about the SWA, Nanao-chan, and anything else that doesn't include this idiot," Lisa prompted slapping the top of Kyouraku's head causing him to make a hurt squawk and bury his head in Nanao's lap more fully.

"Only if you fill me in on the Vizards and what you've been doing in the living world all this time."

An hour later Nanao had finished her meal and Lisa had convinced her to share some sake. Shunsui had been about to comment, but one threatening glare from Nanao was enough to shut him up. She really would send him to bed if she had to. At this hour and with his injuries he should be asleep anyway.

"You write that terrible column in the Seireitei paper?" Lisa shrieked.

"It is not a terrible column," Nanao defended running her hand through Kyouraku's hair absently. He made a small happy sound and closed his eyes relaxing further. She silently started a pain-killing sleeping kido combo and sent it rolling slowly into his body as she rubbed his head and he sighed.

"I mean it's well written, but really Nanao-chan? 'Please Be Moderate,' even the title is boring," Lisa argued.

"It's a very popular column," she said coolly. "Some people like advice that doesn't include being flamboyant or doing other ridiculous things that will cause a scene."

"Causing scenes is the fun part about life," Lisa said. "Come on, Shunsui, back me up on this one."

"He's asleep," Nanao said letting the kido die out on her fingertips and looking down at him fondly.

"Like hell he's asleep," Lisa said. "He just feigns it so he can hear good conversation. I know your tricks, you old pervert, stop faking and back me up."

"I may have hit him with a slightly stronger sleeping kido than was altogether necessary," Nanao admitted.

Lisa blinked at her in surprise. "You drugged him?"

"For his own good," Nanao defended with a shrug. "You have your methods. I have mine."

Lisa threw her head back and laughed at that. "I can't believe he trusts you enough to let you. If I'd tried that stunt he'd have had my hands pinned behind my back before I could get through the incantation."

"I hide it in a pain-killer spell. It's very subtle, but he hasn't gotten angry at me for it yet. I suspect he rather feels better when he wakes up and doesn't actually want me not to do it. Do you mind helping me carry him to bed? It's annoying when he's dead weight."

"How do you usually do it?" Lisa stood and helped her heave him up, rather more gently than she had before now that he wasn't awake to know it.

"Plenty of practice from dragging him home from bars, but generally when he's hurt like this I just do the spell in his bed and then I don't have to drag him anywhere."

"Is that so?" Lisa asked wiggling her eyebrows at her.

"Don't get the wrong impression. I stay to read when he's sick or hurt because you've seen he can't be left alone. Then I eventually knock him out and go to my own bed."

They carted him down the hallway and got him into his bed with little difficulty. With two people it was much easier, Nanao mused, as she tucked him in. "Will you be staying the night, Yadomaru-san?" Nanao tried not to act interested in the answer.

"Eh, his couch is awful unless he's bought a new one and you already have the guest room, where would I stay? Unless you're inviting me into your bed?"

"Oh no," Nanao stuttered. "I just thought that, well, you might be staying with him."

"Who? Shunsui?" Lisa asked jabbing a finger in his direction. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Oh," Nanao said flushing and scrambling to find something to say. "I just know that you two were together before you left, and I don't know. I didn't mean to imply anything or assume."

"Nanao-chan, we used to fuck," Lisa said bluntly. "We didn't sleep together and cuddle. He'd be rather useless to me after your knockout spell."

"Oh," she repeated. "Obviously. I should have asked you before I used it if you wanted to stay. Not that he should be very active right now, but you're both adults and that was silly of me not to think." She wasn't sure she could turn a brighter shade of red.

"Nanao-chan, I think you have the wrong idea," Lisa said looking at her with a small knowing smile. "We were never lovers. We were just friends who enjoyed having sex with each other when the mood struck. Neither one of us was in love that way."

"It's none of my business," Nanao said, wishing she could disappear through the floor.

"I don't think he'd be very receptive to my advances anymore anyway," Lisa commented.

Nanao's head snapped up at that. Lisa must have been gone much too long to think that poorly of him. "Shunsui doesn't care that you're a Vizard, Yadomaru-san. You must know that makes no difference to him. He won't treat you any differently. He's a better man than that."

Lisa smiled and reached over to pat her head leaving Nanao confused. "I didn't mean he'd refuse me because I'm a Vizard. I meant he'd say no because he's clearly stupidly in love with you. You were all he could talk about before you showed up at the 4th. My Nanao-chan this and my Nanao-chan that. If I were a jealous woman, I would have been upset."

"He thought you were gone," Nanao offered up as a balm.

"Nanao, he's in love with you and you're just as obviously in love with him. There's nothing wrong with that other than you could do better," Lisa said pulling her into a hug. "But if I've learned anything over my long life it's that you don't always have the time you think you do. Maybe just in this one area of your life you should be slightly less moderate."

Nanao blushed again and returned her hug. "I'll think about it," she said finding it pointless to deny when the woman had always been able to see right through her.

"Do that," Lisa said pulling back to look her in the eyes. "Trust me, he's not going to ever complain about that knockout kido if he wakes up to find you naked in his bed."

"You've obviously had too much sake," Nanao said pulling away and laughing. "I'll walk you to the door."

"I'm serious, Nanao-chan," Lisa said trailing behind her. "There's no better way to declare your love than naked. I think he'd appreciate it quite a bit."

Nanao laughed and pushed her out the door. "I'll see you soon?"

"Definitely, Nanao-chan."

"It's good to have you home."

"It's good to be home. I couldn't be prouder of the woman you've become."

Nanao fought back the tears that comment caused and hugged her quickly again. "Goodnight, Lisa-san."

"Goodnight, Nanao-chan. And I'm serious, cause a scene, you never know how much time the two of you will have. Don't waste it." With those parting words Lisa shunpoed away into the night and Nanao went back inside.

She went to Kyouraku's room to make sure he was still alright and smiled to already find him sprawled out and one arm hanging off over the bed. The man was disorderly even in his deepest sleep. She softly lifted his arm back up and into the bed and brushed a strand of hair out of his face.

"Nanao-chan," he sighed and she bolted back thinking he'd woken up. Checking his reiatsu though, he was just as asleep as ever.

"You better not be having perverted dreams," she chastised quietly. Pulling the covers up around him more firmly she then quietly shut off the light and left the room. Maybe she'd have the courage to cause a scene sometime soon, but tonight was not that night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I really love being in the manga timeline, and it was so fun adding Lisa to the dynamic :) Thanks to nekonotaishou, 0Sam0, Hanaeko, trah-tibidoh, stillontheboat, liferscove2118, and UntiedHeartbeat for the reviews. You guys don't know how much they make my day!**


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